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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bound — tied together
  3. land — a country
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bound — certain
  11. bank — for money
  12. row — to paddle
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. land — ground
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. squash — the sport
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cold — an illness
  19. land — to come down
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bound — obliged
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cold — not warm
  24. row — a line

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