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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. club — for golf
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ground — crushed
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ground — a position
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — a division
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. club — a group
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ground — the earth

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