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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. row — a line
  4. deal — to handle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spell — letters
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. spell — magic
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wound — an injury
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. row — to paddle
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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