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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. key — the most important part
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rest — a break
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kid — child
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. shower — rain
  10. key — in music
  11. present — a gift
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kid — to tease
  16. present — the time now
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. present — there
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rest — what's left
  22. shower — to wash
  23. key — for a lock
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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