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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. net — after costs
  4. pop — music
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. net — for catching
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rash — a series
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. saw — the tool
  19. band — a music group
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. net — in sport
  23. band — a ring
  24. lash — to lash out

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