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: root · lash · pitcher · stand · arm · rush · drill · cold

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. drill — army training
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. root — of a word
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cold — an illness
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. drill — the tool
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rush — hurry
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. root — the cause

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