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: land · hide · stock · swing · lash · rash · craft · fall

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fall — the season
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. craft — boats
  8. rash — a series
  9. stock — goods
  10. land — a country
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — ground
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stock — shares
  18. land — to come down
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rash — hasty
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fall — to drop
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stock — a soup base

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