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 120 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: ruler · club · lash · season · wind · face · kick · current

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. season — of the year
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wind — moving air
  5. face — to confront
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. club — for golf
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. face — part of the head
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. face — to point toward
  20. kick — in football
  21. season — in sport
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wind — moving air
  24. current — of water

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