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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pop — soda
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. clip — a video
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pop — to visit
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pop — music
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. shower — rain
  24. wind — to turn a key

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