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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. staff — employees
  3. drill — army training
  4. staff — a stick
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. row — a line
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. craft — boats
  21. drill — a practice
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. staff — employees
  24. bulb — for light

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