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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lie — to recline
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lie — an untruth

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