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 116 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: staff · perch · saw · lash · track · snap · sharp · row

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. sharp — clever
  3. perch — the fish
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. row — a line
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. staff — a stick
  10. saw — the tool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. track — to keep track
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. snap — to click
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. saw — the tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. row — to paddle
  22. staff — employees
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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