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: ruler · wake · wave · kid · race · pop · scale · squash

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pop — to visit
  3. race — humankind
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. squash — the sport
  6. kid — to tease
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pop — soda
  11. kid — child
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. squash — to crush
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. scale — in music
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pop — music
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wake — a trail

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