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: spell · wake · rush · present · drill · field · lash · perch

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. present — there
  3. rush — hurry
  4. field — for sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. present — a gift
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. present — the time now
  17. drill — army training
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spell — letters
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. drill — the tool
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wake — a trail

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