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: sharp · nail · staff · chair · racket · firm · mate · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mate — a friend
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mate — a partner
  6. firm — a company
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. staff — a stick
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. staff — employees
  19. firm — decided
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. firm — steady
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. staff — employees
  24. nail — on a finger

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