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: jam · cell · dip · last · date · lash · track · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cell — a phone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. last — final
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. date — the fruit
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. last — finally
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cell — in biology
  22. last — to go on
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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