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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kid — child
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stock — shares
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bulb — for light
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stock — goods

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