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: shower · foot · staff · stem · lash · hand · rash · pitcher

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — to wash
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. shower — rain
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. hand — help
  14. stem — to come from
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. staff — employees
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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