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: row · spell · trunk · lash · wax · ruler · hide · last

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. last — finally
  4. wax — to grow
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — final
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. spell — letters
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spell — magic
  20. row — to paddle
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. last — to go on
  23. spell — a short time
  24. row — a line

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