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: lash · rest · last · rock · leaves · rush · chest · wind

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chest — of your body
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. last — finally
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rock — music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rest — what's left
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chest — a box
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rest — a break
  24. rush — 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