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: lash · shower · band · hand · content · sharp · fine · mark

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mark — a trace
  6. hand — help
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. band — a ring
  10. sharp — clever
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. shower — rain
  14. content — happy
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. content — the amount
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fine — all right

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