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 · lash · tube · wind · net · board · lean · roll

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. tube — a container
  7. net — after costs
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. board — a committee
  11. wind — moving air
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. lean — to bend
  15. board — to get on
  16. lean — thin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. roll — a list
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lean — to rest against

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