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: rest · swing · temple · mouse · pitcher · current · lash · court

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. court — for sport
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. court — of law
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. rest — a break
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. court — of a king
  23. current — of water
  24. temple — side of the head

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