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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. spring — of water
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ground — crushed
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spring — the season
  11. object — a thing
  12. ground — a position
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. ground — the earth

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