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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. lean — thin
  3. tube — a container
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. club — for golf
  6. ball — a great time
  7. chest — a box
  8. ball — a dance
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. club — a group
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. chest — of your body
  15. kid — to tease
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mark — a trace
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kid — child
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mark — a grade

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