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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ball — a round shape

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