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: sharp · wound · lash · rule · straw · drill · temple · present

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wound — an injury
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. present — a gift
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. present — the time now
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. present — there
  20. rule — government
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. drill — army training
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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