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: rest · pass · capital · season · chest · straw · lash · hand

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pass — a permit
  8. capital — money
  9. season — in sport
  10. hand — help
  11. rest — what's left
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rest — a break
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chest — a box
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. capital — a city
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. season — of the year
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rest — what's left
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. straw — a straw man

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