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 116 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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. firm — decided
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. spring — the season
  13. mine — for digging
  14. spring — a coil
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spring — of water
  20. row — a line
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fine — all right

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