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: mine · lash · row · sharp · chest · cap · trunk · field

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chest — a box
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. row — to paddle
  6. field — for sport
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. row — a line
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. chest — of your body
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mine — for digging
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cap — a lid

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