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: mouse · sharp · mug · tear · net · nail · cabinet · lash

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. sharp — clever
  6. net — for catching
  7. mug — a face
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. net — in sport
  11. mug — to rob
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. tear — to rip
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. net — after costs
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mouse — the animal

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