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 ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rest — a break
  3. branch — a division
  4. season — of the year
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. content — the amount
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. season — in sport
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. content — happy
  24. plane — an aircraft

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