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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. craft — boats
  5. present — the time now
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. tear — to rip
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. present — a gift
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. row — a line
  15. can — a tin
  16. present — there
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stand — to bear
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stand — for spectators

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