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 · date · toast · fan · saw · lash · pitcher · bay

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. toast — bread
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. date — the fruit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. game — a match
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. saw — the tool
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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