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: current · mug · lean · hand · saw · rush · dip · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. current — electric
  5. mug — a face
  6. current — of water
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. current — happening now
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mug — to rob
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rush — hurry
  15. hand — in cards
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mug — a cup
  20. dip — to sink
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hand — help
  23. lean — thin
  24. squash — the vegetable

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