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: drill · lash · hand · ball · fine · rush · club · date

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. club — for golf
  5. drill — the tool
  6. hand — help
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. drill — army training
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. hand — in cards
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. club — a group
  13. rush — hurry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fine — all right
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. date — the fruit
  24. ball — a dance

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