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: ball · lash · tube · last · cabinet · tear · mate · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mate — to breed
  3. current — happening now
  4. tear — to rip
  5. ball — a dance
  6. current — electric
  7. last — to go on
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tear — from crying
  11. last — finally
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tube — a container
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mate — a friend
  19. ball — a great time
  20. last — final
  21. mate — a partner
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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