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: hide · lash · pit · march · plane · bark · board · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. plane — a tool
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bark — to shout
  16. march — music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. march — the month
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. march — the month
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hide — animal skin

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