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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. clip — for paper
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cold — not warm
  5. clip — to cut
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. clip — a video
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. root — the cause
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cold — an illness
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kid — child
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. root — of a word
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bay — a horse colour

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