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 120 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: lash · stick · branch · rash · bowl · cap · file · charge

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. cap — of ice
  4. branch — a division
  5. file — a tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rash — a series
  10. charge — electricity
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. file — a document
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rash — hasty
  16. charge — a price
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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