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: bear · spring · rash · game · net · cue · lash · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cue — a signal
  5. game — a match
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. spring — the season
  8. net — for catching
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. spring — of water
  11. game — wild animals
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rash — a series
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bear — the animal

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