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: bass · lash · mark · race · patient · last · saw · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. race — humankind
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. last — final
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. last — finally
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bass — low music
  15. last — to go on
  16. mark — a trace
  17. season — of the year
  18. race — a contest
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. race — the arms race
  24. saw — the tool

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