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: roll · cap · temple · bat · fork · bass · rash · club

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cap — a lid
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bass — low music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. roll — a list
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rash — a series
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. roll — a cake
  24. temple — a place of worship

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