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: staff · wound · lash · fall · row · fine · perch · pitcher

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. staff — employees
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. staff — employees
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fine — all right
  22. row — a line
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitcher — a jug

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