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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bank — for money
  6. track — a song
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bank — of a river
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hand — in cards
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — newspapers
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — a path
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. hand — help
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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