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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wax — to grow
  7. key — the most important part
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. key — in music
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. key — for a lock
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pitcher — a jug

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