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: toast · current · pitcher · mine · snap · lash · trunk · safe

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. snap — to click
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. current — of water
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mine — for digging
  15. current — electric
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. toast — bread
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. current — happening now

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