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 116 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: saw · lash · drill · clip · wave · kick · racket · ground

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — the earth
  6. kick — in football
  7. drill — army training
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ground — crushed
  10. drill — the tool
  11. ground — a position
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. clip — a video
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. clip — for paper
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. clip — to cut

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