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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. board — a committee
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. tear — to rip
  6. file — a document
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. file — a tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rock — music
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. file — a line of people
  24. tear — from crying

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