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: bat · foot · land · craft · plane · mark · lash · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. land — to come down
  10. foot — a measure
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. land — a country
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. land — ground
  23. craft — boats
  24. rush — to hurry

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