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: row · fork · tear · hand · mark · land · charge · lash

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. charge — electricity
  6. hand — help
  7. land — to come down
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. land — ground
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. charge — in control
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. row — to paddle
  16. hand — in cards
  17. land — a country
  18. charge — a price
  19. row — a line
  20. tear — to rip
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mark — to pay attention

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