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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. spell — letters
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. plane — a tool
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. snap — to click
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. field — for sport
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. field — farmland
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. spell — magic
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. field — a subject

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