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: last · rush · wake · cap · rest · lash · clip · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rest — a break
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. current — electric
  11. rest — what's left
  12. clip — a video
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. current — of water
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. wake — a trail
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. last — final

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