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: rock · mouse · snap · rash · mug · dip · squash · rush

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mug — a cup
  4. snap — to click
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mug — to rob
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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