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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. spell — letters
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. present — a gift
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. present — there
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. present — the time now
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pound — a weight

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