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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rash — hasty
  5. root — of a word
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rash — a series
  8. land — ground
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. land — a country
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pop — music
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bass — low music
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pop — soda

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