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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spring — of water
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rash — a series
  5. squash — to crush
  6. charge — electricity
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. charge — in control
  12. spring — the season
  13. charge — a price
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. foot — a measure
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. foot — part of the body

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