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 116 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: fan · wax · rock · lash · pop · wound · hand · rash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pop — to visit
  13. hand — help
  14. wax — to grow
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pop — music
  23. rock — music
  24. pop — soda

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