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: rush · content · deal · cap · ground · clip · ball · lash

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. content — the amount
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. clip — for paper
  12. content — happy
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ground — the earth
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. ground — a position
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ground — crushed
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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