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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. snap — to click
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bass — low music
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kick — in football
  13. lean — to bend
  14. scale — in music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lean — thin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bass — the fish
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. trunk — of a car

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