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: ruler · wake · race · bass · prune · capital · rest · lash

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. race — humankind
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. capital — a city
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. race — a contest
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. capital — money
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rest — a break
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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