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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bark — to shout
  3. band — a music group
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. band — a ring
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rash — a series
  24. fine — a penalty

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