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: lash · craft · tube · straw · wake · arm · squash · trunk

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wake — a trail
  6. craft — boats
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. craft — a skill
  9. squash — the sport
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. squash — to crush
  16. tube — the underground
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. tube — a container

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