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 · rash · mug · rush · club · court · drill · race

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. race — a contest
  3. rash — a series
  4. court — for sport
  5. mug — a cup
  6. drill — army training
  7. club — for golf
  8. race — the arms race
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rash — hasty
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. drill — the tool
  18. roll — a cake
  19. rush — hurry
  20. race — humankind
  21. club — a group
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. roll — a list

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