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: charge · hand · stock · shower · dip · lash · mug · file

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stock — goods
  3. hand — help
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. file — a line of people
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. charge — a price
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. mug — a face
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. hand — in cards
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. charge — in control
  22. mug — to rob
  23. stock — shares
  24. mug — a cup

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