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 116 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mug — a face
  4. object — to protest
  5. file — a tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. tear — from crying
  10. file — a document
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — a cup
  13. prune — to trim
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tear — from crying
  17. object — an aim
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mug — to rob
  22. file — a line of people
  23. object — a thing
  24. swing — to play on

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