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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. current — of water
  6. snap — to click
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bank — for money
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. prune — to trim
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bank — for money
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — to recline
  19. current — electric
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. current — happening now

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