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: spell · rest · jam · rash · race · press · scale · rush

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rest — what's left
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. race — the arms race
  8. scale — in music
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. race — humankind
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. rush — hurry
  16. scale — size or range
  17. press — to push
  18. rest — what's left
  19. race — a contest
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rash — a series
  22. spell — magic
  23. rest — a break
  24. rash — on the skin

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