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: wake · scale · prune · charge · row · rest · rash · hand

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. wake — a trail
  4. charge — in control
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rest — a break
  7. scale — in music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. charge — a price
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rash — hasty
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — electricity
  18. hand — help
  19. row — a line
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. prune — to trim
  24. row — to paddle

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