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: stand · lash · chest · foot · row · racket · snap · hide

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. snap — to click
  3. row — a line
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chest — a box
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. row — to paddle
  15. chest — of your body
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. hide — to keep secret

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