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: lash · hand · chest · foot · net · squash · pass · bulb

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. net — for catching
  10. squash — to crush
  11. chest — of your body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chest — a box
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — help
  16. net — after costs
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. net — in sport

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