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 116 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rash — a series
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bound — obliged
  6. staff — employees
  7. capital — money
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. staff — a stick
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bound — tied together
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. staff — employees
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bound — certain

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