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: mouse · bank · wave · sharp · straw · land · last · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. last — final
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. last — finally
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. last — to go on
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. land — to come down
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bank — for money
  19. land — ground
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. land — a country

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