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 120 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: charge · ball · lash · straw · squash · game · club · ruler

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. club — a group
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. charge — a price
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. charge — electricity
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. squash — the sport
  11. game — wild animals
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ball — a dance
  14. club — for golf
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. club — for dancing
  24. charge — in control

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