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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. current — of water
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. current — happening now
  7. toast — bread
  8. current — electric
  9. root — of a plant
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. root — of a word
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. track — a path
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. root — the cause
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. shower — rain
  24. toast — the most admired

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