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

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bound — obliged
  7. present — there
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. present — the time now
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. present — a gift
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wound — an injury
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bound — tied together
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bound — certain

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