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: tear · lean · mate · lash · press · toast · spell · scale

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. spell — magic
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. tear — from crying
  11. spell — letters
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spell — a short time
  20. toast — bread
  21. tear — from crying
  22. press — to push
  23. scale — size or range
  24. press — newspapers

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