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: bear · rash · lash · toast · wake · spring · racket · tear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. toast — bread
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rash — a series
  5. wake — a trail
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tear — from crying
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bear — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. spring — of water
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. spring — the season
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rash — hasty

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