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: face · lash · bowl · spell · pound · squash · safe · bat

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pound — a weight
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. face — to confront
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spell — magic
  10. face — to point toward
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. spell — letters
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spell — a short time
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pound — to hit hard

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