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: race · lash · lean · calf · bass · nail · clip · trunk

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. clip — for paper
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. clip — to cut
  7. race — humankind
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lean — thin
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. race — a contest
  16. bass — low music
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lean — to bend
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. clip — a video

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