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: rash · snap · rock · mate · cold · ruler · race · fine

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. race — humankind
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rash — a series
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cold — an illness
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. snap — to click
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mate — a partner
  19. race — a contest
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — music
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fine — all right
  24. cold — the Cold War

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