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: lash · tear · bulb · sharp · field · straw · kid · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bulb — for light
  7. field — farmland
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kid — child
  15. tear — from crying
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. kid — to tease
  18. field — a subject
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tear — from crying
  21. sharp — clever
  22. field — for sport
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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