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 116 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: stick · board · saw · lash · pit · bark · cold · safe

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pit — in a race
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — a committee
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — not warm
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bark — to shout
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. board — to get on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. saw — the tool

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