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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pit — in a race
  3. squash — to crush
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pit — a hole
  9. court — of a king
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. court — of law
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. court — for sport
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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