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: rock · key · racket · shower · lash · object · last · dip

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. last — to go on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rock — music
  8. key — in music
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. last — finally
  12. object — a thing
  13. last — final
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. shower — rain
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rock — a stone
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lash — to lash out

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