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: rush · last · mark · scale · chip · rock · bark · squash

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rock — music
  3. last — to go on
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. scale — size or range
  10. last — finally
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bark — to shout
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. last — final
  22. mark — a grade
  23. scale — in music
  24. rush — a thrill

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