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: wake · mug · file · last · lean · lash · deal · squash

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mug — a face
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. last — to go on
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. file — a tool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wake — a trail
  17. file — a document
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. file — a line of people
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mug — to rob
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mug — a cup

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