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 116 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: can · mug · cell · dip · lash · hand · wake · shower

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. can — a tin
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hand — help
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mug — a cup
  10. shower — to wash
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mug — a face
  15. shower — rain
  16. dip — to sink
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wake — a trail
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mug — to rob

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