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: wind · wound · row · pitcher · rock · club · lash · net

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rock — a stone
  6. club — a group
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wound — an injury
  9. row — a line
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — in sport
  12. rock — music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wind — moving air
  18. net — after costs
  19. club — for golf
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. club — for dancing
  24. net — for catching

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