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: row · last · straw · snap · club · trunk · file · lash

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. club — for golf
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. last — final
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. file — a document
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. club — a group
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. last — to go on
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. last — finally
  23. row — a line
  24. snap — to click

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