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: charge · temple · content · lash · prune · rush · rash · swing

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. content — happy
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. content — the amount
  5. charge — in control
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rash — a series
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rash — hasty
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. swing — music
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rush — hurry
  18. prune — to trim
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. charge — a price
  22. swing — in golf
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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