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 120 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: can · squash · lash · chair · lie · mate · deal · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mate — a friend
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. can — a tin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chair — a leader
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — a partner
  19. deal — to handle
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — to succeed

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