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: shower · row · rest · stick · safe · bass · lash · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bass — low music
  8. row — to paddle
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — a break
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. shower — rain
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. can — a tin
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. shower — to wash
  23. row — a line
  24. bass — the fish

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