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 · march · current · dip · cap · press · lash · key

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. current — of water
  2. march — music
  3. press — a publisher
  4. key — the most important part
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. press — newspapers
  11. key — in music
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cap — a hat
  14. press — to push
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cap — of ice
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. key — for a lock
  20. march — the month
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cap — a lid
  23. march — the month
  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