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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — the season
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. kid — child
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. hand — help
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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