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: bass · stick · drill · spring · lash · arm · spell · hide

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spring — a coil
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. spell — letters
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. drill — army training
  16. spring — of water
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bass — low music
  19. spring — the season
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. drill — a practice
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spell — magic
  24. hide — to keep secret

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