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: content · rash · last · mark · spell · straw · scale · charge

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. scale — in music
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mark — a trace
  13. scale — size or range
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. charge — electricity
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mark — a grade
  21. last — final
  22. charge — in control
  23. rash — a series
  24. charge — a price

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