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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · lash · stick · leaves · spring · racket · march · can

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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. spring — a coil
  4. march — the month
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. march — music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. march — the month
  15. spring — the season
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spring — of water
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. can — to be able to
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. can — a tin
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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