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: leaves · spring · lash · wake · tube · rash · hand · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. kick — in football
  11. rash — a series
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. hand — help
  19. tube — a container
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rash — hasty

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