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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. firm — decided
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. firm — a company
  8. saw — the tool
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. firm — steady
  13. saw — the tool
  14. last — final
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. land — ground
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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