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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rest — what's left
  5. object — an aim
  6. fall — to drop
  7. row — a line
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fall — the season
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — to protest
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fall — to drop
  24. object — a thing

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