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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. scale — in music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. land — a country
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. land — ground
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. row — a line
  10. club — for dancing
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. land — to come down
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. root — of a word
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. club — for golf
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. club — a group
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. root — the cause
  24. nail — on a finger

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