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 · mouse · chair · tear · swing · tube · staff · land

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. swing — in golf
  9. land — ground
  10. swing — to play on
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. land — a country
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. staff — employees
  20. tear — from crying
  21. land — to come down
  22. swing — music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. staff — employees

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