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: track · rash · cabinet · craft · hand · lash · file · drill

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rash — hasty
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. drill — army training
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. track — to keep track
  9. drill — the tool
  10. track — a path
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. file — a document
  13. rash — a series
  14. file — a line of people
  15. hand — help
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hand — in cards
  20. file — a tool
  21. craft — boats
  22. track — a song
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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