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: bass · mine · wave · bat · spring · lash · track · spell

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mine — for digging
  5. track — a song
  6. spring — the season
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bass — low music
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. spell — magic
  15. spring — of water
  16. track — to keep track
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. track — a path

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