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: last · mouse · degree · fork · lean · track · lash · clip

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. last — final
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. clip — for paper
  14. degree — an amount
  15. lean — to bend
  16. degree — temperature
  17. clip — a video
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lean — thin
  20. clip — to cut
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. track — a path
  24. mouse — the animal

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