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: wound · lash · charge · chest · chair · rush · season · lie

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. season — of the year
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. season — in sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. chest — a box
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. charge — a price
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. season — to add flavour

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