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 · kick · race · content · chest · sharp · march · toast

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. chest — of your body
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. content — the amount
  5. sharp — clever
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. march — music
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. kick — in football
  13. chest — of your body
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. march — the month
  17. content — happy
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. race — humankind
  20. march — the month
  21. chest — a box
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. race — a contest

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