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: lash · mug · sharp · kid · stick · net · stem · bulb

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. kid — child
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mug — a cup
  9. net — in sport
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stem — to come from
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. kid — to tease
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bulb — for light

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