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 · game · fan · clip · craft · wave · board · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. kid — child
  6. game — a match
  7. craft — boats
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. clip — to cut
  13. board — to get on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. clip — a video
  19. board — a committee
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. game — wild animals
  24. clip — for paper

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