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: kick · bark · lash · saw · wind · roll · rush · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. capital — a city
  19. kick — in football
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wind — moving air
  24. roll — a list

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