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 120 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: row · fork · pitcher · tear · lie · ground · band · lash

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. row — a line
  3. band — a music group
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ground — crushed
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tear — from crying
  21. band — a ring
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lie — an untruth

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