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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. content — happy
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. perch — the fish
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rush — hurry
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. content — the amount
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tube — a container
  16. fine — all right
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tube — the underground
  20. kid — child
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. kid — to tease
  24. tube — in a tire

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