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: rule · cap · lash · stick · pass · sharp · fan · hand

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rule — government
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. hand — help
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cap — a hat
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rule — a law
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pass — to spend time

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