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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. content — the amount
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rock — a stone
  10. content — happy
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. spell — letters
  20. rock — music
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. straw — dry grass

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