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: lash · tear · net · key · bulb · rush · hand · kick

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rush — hurry
  4. key — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. net — after costs
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. net — in sport
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tear — from crying
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. key — the most important part
  18. hand — help
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. tear — to rip
  22. hand — in cards
  23. net — for catching
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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