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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. shower — to wash
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fall — the season
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ball — a great time
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fall — to drop
  24. shower — rain

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