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: rash · charge · dip · straw · plane · pit · fine · lash

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rash — a series
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rash — hasty
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pit — a hole
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. charge — a price
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. plane — a tool

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