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: tube · pass · lash · leaves · band · dip · spring · cell

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. band — a ring
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cell — a phone
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. spring — a coil
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. spring — of water
  16. tube — a container
  17. band — a music group
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spring — the season
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cell — in biology

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