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 120 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: rock · wind · lash · march · last · drill · hide · leaves

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — a stone
  3. last — final
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. march — the month
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rock — music
  11. last — to go on
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. march — music
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. last — finally
  20. march — the month
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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