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 · rush · lash · chip · spell · band · cue · tear

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cue — for pool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spell — a short time
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. band — a music group
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. spell — magic
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. squash — the sport
  19. band — a ring
  20. tear — to rip
  21. spell — letters
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rush — a thrill

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