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: pound · squash · trunk · row · lash · wake · fan · nail

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. squash — to crush
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. row — a line
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wake — a trail
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a quarrel

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