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 120 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: leaves · wake · lash · racket · game · tear · hand · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. game — a match
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tear — from crying
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. tear — to rip
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. hand — in cards
  18. game — wild animals
  19. hand — help
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. game — a kind of play

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