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: fork · bound · lash · rash · vault · dip · fall · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bound — obliged
  4. current — happening now
  5. rash — a series
  6. fall — the season
  7. rash — hasty
  8. current — electric
  9. bound — certain
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. dip — to sink
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fall — to drop
  23. vault — a safe
  24. dip — to dunk

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