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: calf · march · degree · bass · wave · lash · court · mug

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bass — low music
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mug — to rob
  11. court — of a king
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. march — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. court — of law
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — for sport

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