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 120 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. net — after costs
  4. degree — an amount
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. net — in sport
  7. degree — temperature
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. kick — in football
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. net — for catching
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. degree — from a university
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cabinet — ministers

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