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: dip · plane · squash · can · mug · game · fine · lash

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. can — a tin
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mug — to rob
  12. squash — to crush
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. squash — the sport
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. can — to be able to
  22. plane — a tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. plane — an aircraft

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