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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tear — to rip
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. tear — from crying
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. craft — a skill
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. craft — boats
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. row — a line
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. can — a tin
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tear — from crying
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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