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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. kid — child
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. net — for catching
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. prune — to trim
  8. last — final
  9. net — in sport
  10. last — finally
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. last — to go on
  14. fall — the season
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fall — to drop
  18. present — the time now
  19. kid — to tease
  20. present — a gift
  21. net — after costs
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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