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: charge · stick · can · straw · mouse · plane · lash · vault

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. charge — in control
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. charge — a price
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. vault — a safe
  17. charge — electricity
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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