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: mug · shower · suit · degree · plane · bulb · lash · hand

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bulb — for light
  9. suit — clothes
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. suit — to fit
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bulb — for light
  19. suit — in cards
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lash — an eyelash

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