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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. branch — a division
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spell — magic
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cell — a phone
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. cell — in biology
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spell — letters
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. temple — a place of worship

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