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: nail · pop · game · last · lash · calf · sharp · hand

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. last — to go on
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. last — finally
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pop — to visit
  10. game — a match
  11. pop — soda
  12. hand — help
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. hand — in cards
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pop — music
  24. last — final

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