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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. key — the most important part
  6. sharp — clever
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rock — music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cell — in biology
  11. net — for catching
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rash — a series
  19. net — in sport
  20. spring — the season
  21. net — after costs
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. spring — of water
  24. key — in music

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