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: lash · mine · deal · kid · march · bat · wave · plane

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. march — music
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. kid — child
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. march — the month
  18. deal — to handle
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. march — the month

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