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 · ground · bass · kick · prune · pop · game

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pop — soda
  3. bass — low music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kick — in football
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pop — music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pop — to visit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ground — the earth
  18. game — a match
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ground — a position
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ruler — for measuring

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