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: bore · rush · mine · degree · chest · lash · lie · bulb

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chest — of your body
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lie — to recline
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chest — a box
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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