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: club · hand · deal · lash · land · track · net · fan

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. track — a path
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. land — a country
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hand — help
  10. track — a song
  11. club — for golf
  12. net — after costs
  13. land — to come down
  14. net — in sport
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. track — to keep track
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. net — for catching
  20. club — a group
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. land — ground
  23. club — for dancing
  24. deal — to handle

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