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 120 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's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lie — to recline
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. march — the month
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. march — music
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. march — the month
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wound — an injury
  21. shower — rain
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bulb — for light
  24. squash — to crush

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