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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. hand — in cards
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hand — help
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mate — a friend
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. net — after costs
  20. mate — a partner
  21. net — in sport
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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