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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. drill — a practice
  5. spell — magic
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pop — to visit
  8. spell — letters
  9. pop — soda
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spell — a short time
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. drill — army training
  15. pop — music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bore — to drill
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bore — to tire
  21. clip — to cut
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — for paper

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