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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ground — a position
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cap — of ice
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. craft — a skill
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — a lid
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ground — the earth
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hand — help
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lean — thin
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cap — a hat
  24. craft — boats

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