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: fall · club · current · clip · snap · suit · lash · squash

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fall — to drop
  4. club — a group
  5. squash — to crush
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fall — to drop
  10. clip — a video
  11. current — electric
  12. suit — to fit
  13. clip — to cut
  14. snap — to click
  15. suit — in cards
  16. clip — for paper
  17. suit — clothes
  18. current — happening now
  19. fall — the season
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. current — of water

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