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: pass · sharp · patient · swing · wake · lash · hide · tear

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tear — from crying
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. swing — in golf
  10. tear — from crying
  11. swing — music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pass — a permit
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wake — a trail
  24. patient — a sick person

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