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: band · arm · deal · lash · saw · last · roll · current

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. last — finally
  3. current — of water
  4. last — final
  5. current — happening now
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. band — a music group
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. roll — a list
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. current — electric
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. last — to go on
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. band — a ring
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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