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 116 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 · spring · fall · wind · band · calf · firm · club

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wind — moving air
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. firm — decided
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. band — a music group
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. firm — steady
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. club — for golf
  19. band — a ring
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fall — the season
  22. firm — a company
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. calf — a young animal

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