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 116 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: scale · rush · squash · lean · rule · drill · file · wake

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. drill — the tool
  4. scale — in music
  5. rule — government
  6. squash — to crush
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. file — a document
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rule — a law
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. file — a tool
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wake — a trail
  24. scale — size or range

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