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: lash · clip · arm · squash · craft · pit · trunk · shower

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pit — in a race
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. shower — rain
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pit — a hole
  8. clip — for paper
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. craft — a skill
  17. clip — a video
  18. squash — to crush
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. craft — boats

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