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: mug · lash · bat · wound · craft · chair · club · sharp

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. club — for dancing
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. club — a group
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wound — an injury
  13. club — for golf
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. craft — boats
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. sharp — clever
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mug — a face

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