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: wave · lash · pass · straw · wind · pitcher · mug · tear

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mug — a face
  8. pass — a permit
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tear — from crying
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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