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 · rock · date · ball · nail · staff · branch · wind

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. date — the fruit
  5. branch — a division
  6. rock — a stone
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rock — music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wind — moving air
  18. staff — employees
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. staff — employees

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