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: march · tube · bass · lash · current · rash · club · jam

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. current — electric
  3. tube — a container
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bass — low music
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. current — of water
  10. march — music
  11. rash — a series
  12. club — for golf
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. current — happening now
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. march — the month
  19. bass — the fish
  20. club — a group
  21. march — the month
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. tube — the underground

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