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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · racket · dip · swing · lean · hand · capital · tear

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. swing — in golf
  3. tear — from crying
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. capital — a city
  6. dip — to sink
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lean — to bend
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. sharp — clever
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. capital — money
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hand — help
  18. swing — to play on
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lean — thin
  24. swing — music

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