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: trunk · pitcher · deal · lash · coach · mate · wind · drill

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mate — a partner
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wind — moving air
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitcher — a jug

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