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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. drill — a practice
  8. ground — a position
  9. scale — in music
  10. drill — army training
  11. rash — a series
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. suit — clothes
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rash — hasty
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ground — the earth

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