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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. tube — the underground
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. drill — a practice
  6. tube — a container
  7. drill — army training
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rest — a break
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rest — what's left
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rest — what's left
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. date — on the calendar

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