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: lash · saw · calf · tear · bass · rush · cabinet · can

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. can — a tin
  8. bass — low music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. tear — to rip
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. can — a tin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lash — to lash out

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