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: scale · bark · lash · rush · fine · bulb · field · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chest — a box
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. field — farmland
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. field — a subject
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. field — for sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. scale — in music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bark — to shout

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