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: fan · rash · lash · dip · cabinet · file · rock · bat

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bat — the animal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rock — music
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. file — a document
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rash — a series

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