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: lash · rash · ground · date · chair · chip · trunk · pop

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pop — to visit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pop — soda
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ground — crushed
  20. date — the fruit
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pop — music
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ground — a position

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