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: charge · straw · lash · tube · perch · staff · stick · rush

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tube — a container
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rush — hurry
  10. staff — a stick
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. staff — employees
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. charge — a price
  18. staff — employees
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. perch — for a bird

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