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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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 — a whip stroke
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. charge — a price
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cap — a lid
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kick — in football
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cap — of ice
  13. swing — in golf
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. shower — rain
  21. swing — music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. lash — to lash out
  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