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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. chest — of your body
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tear — to rip
  7. suit — to fit
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cue — for pool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cue — a signal
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tear — from crying

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