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: game · spell · wound · cabinet · straw · present · ball · lash

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. present — the time now
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — there
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wound — an injury
  12. present — a gift
  13. game — a match
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ball — a dance
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ball — a great time
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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