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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. current — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spring — a coil
  11. key — in music
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. board — a committee
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. current — electric
  16. key — the most important part
  17. perch — the fish
  18. current — happening now
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cold — an illness
  21. board — to get on
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cold — not warm
  24. arm — part of the body

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