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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rest — a break
  9. press — to push
  10. track — a path
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mug — a face
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bat — the animal
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ground — a position
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. tube — a container
  21. track — a song
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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