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: clip · saw · stem · current · pass · shower · lash · last

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. saw — the tool
  11. current — electric
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pass — a permit
  14. last — finally
  15. clip — to cut
  16. last — final
  17. current — happening now
  18. last — to go on
  19. clip — a video
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. current — of water
  24. saw — the tool

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