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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. scale — size or range
  3. roll — a list
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. shower — rain
  6. hand — in cards
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bound — tied together
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bound — obliged
  12. hand — help
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bound — certain
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. roll — a cake
  20. shower — to wash
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. scale — in music

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