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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. snap — to click
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. object — to protest
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. ball — a great time
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. object — an aim
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. object — a thing

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