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 · roll · lash · wax · plane · straw · kid · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. current — of water
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. current — happening now
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. current — electric
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. game — wild animals
  16. kid — child
  17. roll — a cake
  18. kid — to tease
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. roll — a list
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. roll — on a roll

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