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 · ruler · rash · suit · wake · spell · prune · snap

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. spell — letters
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wake — a trail
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — magic
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rash — hasty
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. suit — in cards
  13. snap — to click
  14. suit — clothes
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rash — a series
  24. suit — to fit

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