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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. spell — magic
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. spring — of water
  8. track — a song
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spell — letters
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pop — music
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pop — soda
  20. spring — the season
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. track — a path
  24. club — a group

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