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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tear — from crying
  4. snap — to click
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mate — to breed
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. tear — to rip

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