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: lean · fork · wind · fan · rule · sharp · lash · present

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. present — a gift
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lean — thin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. present — there
  9. rule — a law
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. present — the time now
  24. lean — to rest against

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