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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. spring — the season
  10. cell — in biology
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. spring — of water
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. club — for golf
  16. cap — a hat
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. club — a group

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