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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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. foot — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. branch — a division
  10. season — of the year
  11. dip — to sink
  12. foot — a measure
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rule — government
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rule — a law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. track — to keep track
  20. season — in sport
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lash — to lash out

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