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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — for betting
  4. object — a thing
  5. fall — the season
  6. squash — the sport
  7. sharp — clever
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pitch — completely
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fall — to drop
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. object — an aim
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. branch — a division
  23. object — to protest
  24. squash — to crush

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