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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. last — finally
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. last — final
  5. pit — in a race
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. scale — in music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. drill — a practice
  11. scale — size or range
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. last — to go on
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. branch — a division
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bear — the animal

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