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

Word bank: cap · fork · wave · bat · tear · bear · lash · board

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. board — to get on
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. board — a committee
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. tear — to rip
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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