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: racket · rock · scale · lash · arm · hide · band · bowl

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. scale — in music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rock — music
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. band — a ring
  15. rock — a stone
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. band — a music group
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. arm — part of the body

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