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: can · wave · date · bulb · kick · bat · lash · toast

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. can — to be able to
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bulb — for light
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. can — a tin
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kick — in football
  16. toast — bread
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bat — the animal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. can — a tin

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