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: lie · spell · hand · net · wave · sharp · last · pass

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. hand — in cards
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. net — in sport
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spell — a short time
  20. last — final
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. hand — help
  24. sharp — with an edge

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