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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. fine — all right
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. present — a gift
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. present — the time now
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. present — there
  22. hand — help
  23. net — in sport
  24. hand — part of the body

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