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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · kick · chair · leaves · degree · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. degree — an amount
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. degree — temperature
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chair — a leader
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. club — for golf
  14. kick — in football
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. degree — from a university
  18. chair — a professorship

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