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: mug · bound · pitcher · row · branch · hide · hand · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mug — a face
  8. bound — certain
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — a cup
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bound — tied together
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. row — a line
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mug — to rob
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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