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: rush · lash · wake · pop · date · season · spring · pound

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. season — in sport
  4. pop — soda
  5. rush — hurry
  6. season — of the year
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pop — to visit
  20. spring — of water
  21. pop — music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wake — a trail
  24. date — on the calendar

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