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: swing · key · lash · march · season · snap · lean · file

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lean — to bend
  5. key — the most important part
  6. season — in sport
  7. key — for a lock
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. march — music
  11. key — in music
  12. file — a document
  13. swing — music
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. march — the month
  16. snap — to click
  17. season — of the year
  18. file — a tool
  19. swing — in golf
  20. lean — thin
  21. march — the month
  22. file — a line of people
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. lash — to lash out

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