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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wound — an injury
  5. net — after costs
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. season — of the year
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. season — in sport
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. net — for catching

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