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: bark · patient · band · lash · swing · shower · mark · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. shower — to wash
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. swing — music
  9. shower — rain
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. swing — in golf
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bark — to shout
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. band — a music group
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mark — a grade
  21. swing — to play on
  22. band — a ring
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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