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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pass — a permit
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. season — of the year
  7. bark — to shout
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. foot — a measure
  11. season — in sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. tube — the underground
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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