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

Word bank: lash · deal · straw · season · cabinet · saw · rock · last

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. last — finally
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. saw — the tool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rock — a stone
  12. season — in sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. last — final
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. season — of the year
  22. last — to go on
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rock — 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