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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mark — a grade
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. degree — temperature
  14. shower — to wash
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mark — a trace
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. shower — rain
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rest — a break

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