ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rash — a series
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cell — a phone
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. clip — a video
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cell — in biology
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com