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 120 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: file · stick · season · racket · lash · snap · spell · mark

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. snap — to click
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spell — letters
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. spell — a short time
  7. season — in sport
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spell — magic
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. file — a document
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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