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: squash · rash · stock · ruler · lash · game · spell · current

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. current — of water
  3. stock — goods
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. game — a match
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. spell — letters
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. spell — a short time
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stock — shares
  18. spell — magic
  19. squash — the sport
  20. current — electric
  21. game — wild animals
  22. current — happening now
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. squash — to crush

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