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: straw · game · lash · lie · safe · pop · bat · swing

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bat — the animal
  14. game — a match
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pop — music
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. swing — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. swing — in golf
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pop — to visit

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