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: fork · board · kick · lash · staff · hand · straw · hide

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. board — a committee
  6. staff — employees
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — help
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fork — in a road
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. staff — employees
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. board — to get on

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