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: hand · track · game · pop · face · rash · lash · staff

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. face — part of the head
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pop — to visit
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. hand — in cards
  16. staff — employees
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pop — soda
  19. rash — a series
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pop — music
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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