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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. field — farmland
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. club — for golf
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. kid — child
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. field — for sport
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. kid — to tease
  21. field — a subject
  22. club — a group
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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