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: pitcher · mug · capital · lie · row · chest · root · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. capital — a city
  3. mug — a face
  4. row — to paddle
  5. capital — money
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — the cause
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lie — to recline
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. row — a line
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. root — of a word
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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