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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hand — in cards
  3. land — ground
  4. can — a tin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a music group
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. firm — a company
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. firm — decided
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. land — a country
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — help
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. land — to come down
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. firm — steady
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. band — a ring
  24. hand — part of the body

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