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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rock — a stone
  5. staff — employees
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. staff — a stick
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. shower — to wash
  15. club — a group
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. squash — to crush
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. staff — employees
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. club — for golf
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. shower — rain
  24. kick — in football

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