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: lash · face · stick · race · bark · scale · degree · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. face — to point toward
  3. race — a contest
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bark — to shout
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rash — hasty
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. race — humankind
  18. face — to confront
  19. scale — in music
  20. race — the arms race
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rash — a series

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