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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. file — a tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bound — tied together
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. file — a line of people
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. season — of the year
  17. file — a document
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hand — help
  23. rock — music
  24. bound — obliged

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