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: rash · chair · lash · staff · march · trunk · wave · kick

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. staff — a stick
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. march — the month
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. march — music
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rash — hasty
  17. kick — in football
  18. staff — employees
  19. rash — a series
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. chair — a leader
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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