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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. scale — size or range
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fall — to drop
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. degree — from a university
  16. current — of water
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. scale — in music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rash — a series
  21. degree — temperature
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wax — in the ear

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