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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. spring — of water
  7. bear — the animal
  8. race — humankind
  9. spring — the season
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. spring — a coil
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. race — the arms race
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. race — a contest
  24. squash — the sport

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