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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. content — the amount
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. kick — in football
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. content — happy
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bear — to put up with

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