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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. season — in sport
  5. bound — certain
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stock — goods
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stock — shares
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wax — to grow
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. season — of the year
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. dip — to sink
  24. degree — an amount

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