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: fine · lash · stand · field · rash · calf · bass · band

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fine — all right
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fine — high quality
  7. field — a subject
  8. rash — a series
  9. field — for sport
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. band — a music group
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rash — hasty
  18. field — farmland
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. band — a ring
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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