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: hide · lash · sharp · spring · charge · straw · root · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spring — the season
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. spring — of water
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. charge — in control
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. kid — to tease
  14. spring — a coil
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. root — the cause
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. root — of a word
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. charge — a price
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. root — of a plant

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