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: rest · dip · ground · hand · lash · plane · bat · pitcher

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ground — a position
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rest — what's left
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rest — a break
  21. ground — the earth
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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