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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. swing — music
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. trunk — of a tree

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