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 · kid · bulb · rush · season · kick · field · squash

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. field — for sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. season — of the year
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. rush — hurry
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. season — in sport
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kid — child
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kick — in football

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