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 120 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chair — a leader
  3. track — a song
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. file — a document
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. spell — magic
  9. tear — from crying
  10. file — a tool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. file — a line of people
  16. track — a path
  17. tear — to rip
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. spell — letters
  21. stem — to come from
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. spell — a short time

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