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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. field — farmland
  4. last — final
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — all right
  9. field — for sport
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. field — a subject
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. saw — the tool
  19. last — to go on
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ball — a great time
  23. last — finally
  24. bowl — to roll

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