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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rash — a series
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. charge — a price
  6. kick — in football
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rash — hasty
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fork — in a road
  17. hand — help
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. plane — a tool
  20. charge — in control
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. tear — to rip

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