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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. face — to point toward
  4. perch — the fish
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bass — low music
  8. bank — for money
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. face — part of the head
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hand — help
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wound — an injury
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. drill — army training
  21. face — to confront
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bank — for money

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