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 116 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. net — after costs
  3. snap — to click
  4. fine — all right
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. net — for catching
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. fine — high quality
  12. spring — a coil
  13. net — in sport
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — the season
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. perch — the fish
  22. march — music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — a strongbox

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