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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cold — an illness
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cold — not warm
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cap — of ice
  18. kick — in football
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cap — a hat
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. row — a line
  24. plane — a tool

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