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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. vault — a safe
  7. current — electric
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chair — a leader
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. current — happening now
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hand — help
  17. rock — music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. current — of water
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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