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: trunk · racket · wind · kick · bass · game · lash · ruler

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bass — low music
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. kick — in football
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bass — the fish
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kick — a thrill

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