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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fall — to drop
  4. spring — the season
  5. tube — a container
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cap — a lid
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fall — the season
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lean — to bend
  24. spring — a coil

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