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: wind · rush · kid · bear · lash · hand · present · row

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. row — a line
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. hand — help
  6. present — the time now
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. present — there
  13. row — to paddle
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. kid — child
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. kid — to tease

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