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 · rest · nail · present · ball · hide · pop · clip

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — there
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rest — a break
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — soda
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pop — to visit
  15. present — the time now
  16. clip — a video
  17. present — a gift
  18. clip — to cut
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. clip — for paper
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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