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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lean — to bend
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. game — wild animals
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. snap — to click
  14. lean — thin
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. game — a match
  19. kid — to tease
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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