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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stand — to bear
  4. current — electric
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. current — of water
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tear — to rip
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — happening now
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tear — from crying
  18. hand — in cards

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