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 120 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: squash · wound · march · deal · ruler · arm · lash · face

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. march — the month
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. march — music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. face — part of the head
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. face — to confront
  21. wound — an injury
  22. face — to point toward
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. deal — to handle

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