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: spring · spell · mug · ground · kid · lash · dip · rest

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mug — a cup
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. spring — the season
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. kid — child
  7. spell — magic
  8. ground — a position
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — the earth
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mug — a face
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. spring — of water
  17. rest — a break
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mug — to rob
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spell — letters

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