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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chest — a box
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tube — a container
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chest — of your body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tube — the underground
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. chest — of your body
  24. perch — the fish

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