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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bass — the fish
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. sharp — clever
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bass — low music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. sharp — exactly

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