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: ruler · cap · snap · row · lean · lash · net · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. net — in sport
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. staff — employees
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cap — a lid
  8. lean — thin
  9. staff — a stick
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. net — for catching
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lean — to bend
  22. net — after costs
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. row — a line

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