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: pass · content · lash · field · cold · bay · trunk · dip

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. content — the amount
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cold — an illness
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. content — happy
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cold — not warm
  17. field — a subject
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pass — a permit
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. dip — to sink
  24. trunk — of a tree

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