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: pound · lash · hide · fine · race · capital

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. race — a contest
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. race — the arms race
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pound — a weight
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fine — all right
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. race — humankind

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