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: snap · tube · lash · bowl · sharp · rash · cap · chip

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chip — for betting
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cap — of ice
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. tube — a container
  15. rash — a series
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cap — a hat
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bowl — a dish

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