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: game · roll · staff · club · lash · firm · file · pass

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. roll — a list
  3. firm — decided
  4. staff — employees
  5. game — a match
  6. club — for golf
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. staff — employees
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. club — for dancing
  15. file — a tool
  16. game — wild animals
  17. firm — a company
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. club — a group
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. staff — a stick
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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