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: lash · rush · squash · rash · board · mouse · wave · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. board — a committee
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rush — hurry
  10. squash — to crush
  11. board — to get on
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rash — hasty
  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