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: lean · saw · firm · squash · chest · date · lash · spring

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. spring — the season
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. chest — a box
  5. spring — of water
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chest — of your body
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. firm — a company
  14. spring — a coil
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. squash — to crush
  18. firm — steady
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. squash — the vegetable

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