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: current · straw · file · charge · lash · bark · can · row

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. can — a tin
  3. file — a tool
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. charge — electricity
  7. file — a document
  8. current — electric
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. bark — to shout
  13. row — a line
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. row — to paddle
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. row — a quarrel

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