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: present · lash · bulb · tear · bay · wake · season · hand

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. season — in sport
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. present — there
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — a gift
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. season — of the year
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. present — the time now
  24. tear — to rip

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