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 · rest · bass · wax · stick · board · kid · spell

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rest — a break
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bass — low music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. board — a committee
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bass — the fish
  21. spell — magic
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kid — child

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