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: snap · tear · mark · object · lash · hide · face · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. object — a thing
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. object — to protest
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mark — a grade
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rule — a law
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. face — to confront
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. object — an aim
  20. snap — to click
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mark — a trace
  23. face — to point toward
  24. tear — from crying

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