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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. race — humankind
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pass — a permit
  9. race — a contest
  10. capital — a city
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. capital — money
  16. lean — thin
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pass — to spend time

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