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 116 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: wave · bank · present · clip · mouse · pass · kid · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. present — there
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. present — a gift
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bank — for money
  13. kid — child
  14. bank — for money
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — a video
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. clip — for paper
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. present — the time now
  24. wave — of the sea

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