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: staff · present · cell · lash · wave · kid · field · bay

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. field — farmland
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. staff — employees
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. present — the time now
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. present — there
  16. kid — child
  17. present — a gift
  18. staff — a stick
  19. field — a subject
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cell — in biology
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. staff — employees

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