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: squash · lie · press · lash · stick · pitcher · rash · fall

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rash — hasty
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — a series
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lie — to recline
  19. press — to push
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fall — to drop

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