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: rash · lie · current · tube · field · lash · present · toast

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rash — a series
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. tube — the underground
  5. current — of water
  6. tube — a container
  7. field — for sport
  8. present — there
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. present — a gift
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. toast — bread
  16. lie — to recline
  17. current — happening now
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. current — electric
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — hasty

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