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: key · cabinet · lash · kick · stem · straw · mine · rash

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mine — for digging
  11. kick — in football
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. key — in music
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. key — the most important part
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stem — to come from

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