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 120 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: face · nail · can · lash · board · cold · bat · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. face — to confront
  4. cold — an illness
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — the animal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. board — to get on
  11. cold — not warm
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. can — a tin
  17. rock — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rock — a stone
  24. can — to be able to

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