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

Word bank: pitcher · wake · club · pop · rush · ruler · game · staff

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. staff — employees
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. game — a match
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wake — a trail
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rush — hurry
  17. staff — a stick
  18. club — a group
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rush — a thrill

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