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: rest · bay · sharp · chip · clip · arm · lash · fan

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rest — a break
  11. chip — to eat
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rest — what's left
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. clip — a video
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. clip — to cut
  24. arm — part of the body

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