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: wound · wind · tear · lash · nail · mouse · face · deal

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. tear — to rip
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. face — part of the head
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. tear — from crying
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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