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: lash · scale · mug · land · board · bowl · tube · chest

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mug — a face
  3. tube — a container
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chest — of your body
  6. land — to come down
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chest — of your body
  11. land — a country
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mug — to rob
  14. board — to get on
  15. mug — a cup
  16. board — a committee
  17. chest — a box
  18. tube — the underground
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. scale — in music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. land — ground
  24. bowl — a dish

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