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 120 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kick — in football
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. field — farmland
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fall — the season
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. field — for sport
  24. kick — with a leg

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