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 · march · coach · squash · rash · lie · wound · drill

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. drill — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. squash — the sport
  6. drill — army training
  7. march — the month
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rash — a series
  11. march — the month
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. march — music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wound — an injury
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rash — hasty
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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