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: saw · fan · kick · lash · mouse · band · wound · foot

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. band — a music group
  5. wound — an injury
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. kick — in football
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. kick — with a leg

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