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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. season — in sport
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — soda
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pop — music
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — to visit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mark — a grade
  24. season — to add flavour

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