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 · chip · staff · present · coach · swing · scale · hand

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. hand — help
  5. swing — to play on
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. staff — employees
  11. chip — for betting
  12. swing — music
  13. hand — in cards
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. present — the time now
  17. staff — a stick
  18. scale — in music
  19. present — there
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — a gift
  24. lash — an eyelash

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