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: stem · sharp · drill · tear · arm · lash · date · bound

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bound — certain
  5. tear — from crying
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bound — obliged
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. drill — army training
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. sharp — exactly

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