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: kid · club · hide · ball · lean · race · lash · ruler

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — child
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kid — to tease
  7. ball — a great time
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lean — thin
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. race — humankind
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. club — for golf
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. club — a group
  20. race — a contest
  21. club — for dancing
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. race — the arms race

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