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 124 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ball — a dance
  3. date — the fruit
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. kick — in football
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rash — hasty
  10. key — in music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chair — a leader
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rash — a series
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ball — a round shape

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