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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mate — a partner
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. face — to confront
  24. bear — the animal

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