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

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. face — to confront
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wind — moving air
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. wax — for sculpting

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