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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. staff — employees
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bat — the animal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. staff — a stick
  7. spring — a coil
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. staff — employees
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lie — to recline
  14. vault — a safe
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spring — of water
  23. mine — for digging
  24. spring — the season

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