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: date · chip · perch · season · patient · straw · tube · lash

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — for betting
  8. date — the fruit
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. perch — the fish
  13. season — of the year
  14. chip — to eat
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. tube — a container
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tube — the underground
  21. season — in sport
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. straw — dry grass

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