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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. club — for golf
  3. chest — a box
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stem — to come from
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chest — of your body
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chest — of your body
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fall — the season

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