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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. dip — to sink
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mug — a face
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. drill — the tool
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. suit — in cards
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chest — a box

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