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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. land — ground
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. field — farmland
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. field — for sport
  8. land — to come down
  9. spell — magic
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spell — letters
  12. pop — soda
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. field — a subject
  16. pop — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. spell — a short time
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. land — a country
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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