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: band · cabinet · spell · coach · wake · lash · fine · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fine — high quality
  5. snap — to click
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. spell — magic
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fine — all right
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — letters
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wake — a trail

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