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: net · rock · tear · lash · wind · straw · chip · chair

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. net — in sport
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. net — after costs
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rock — music
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. net — for catching
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wind — moving air
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. chip — for betting

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