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: club · fine · date · cabinet · fall · hand · fan · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fine — all right
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. date — the fruit
  17. hand — help
  18. club — for golf
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fall — the season
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fine — a penalty

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