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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. tear — from crying
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. net — for catching
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. tear — to rip
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rash — a series
  18. key — in music
  19. wake — a trail
  20. key — the most important part
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — to breed
  24. key — for a lock

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