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: bay · rash · straw · trunk · sharp · face · lash · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. face — to confront
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rash — hasty
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fine — all right
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rash — a series
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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