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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. face — part of the head
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pit — a hole
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. face — to confront
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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