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: wax · dip · lash · stick · lie · present · bass · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. present — the time now
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — a gift
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bass — low music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bass — the fish
  24. present — there

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