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: straw · saw · pit · pitcher · lash · key · mug · dip

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. dip — to sink
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mug — a face
  10. key — in music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — in a race
  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