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: tear · drill · stem · arm · chest · suit · lash · row

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. drill — the tool
  4. row — a line
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. drill — a practice
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stem — to come from
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tear — to rip
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. suit — clothes
  24. row — to paddle

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