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: mark · rule · band · staff · calf · pitcher · court · squash

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. court — of a king
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. court — for sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rule — government
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. band — a ring
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. court — of law
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. band — a music group
  24. rule — a law

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