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: pit · sharp · temple · net · season · chest · lash · bowl

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. season — in sport
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. sharp — clever
  9. season — of the year
  10. net — in sport
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. chest — of your body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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