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: plane · game · rash · chest · court · present · rest · lash

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. present — the time now
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. present — there
  9. court — of a king
  10. present — a gift
  11. rash — hasty
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. court — for sport
  17. game — a match
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rest — a break
  21. chest — a box
  22. court — of law
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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