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: ruler · plane · club · chair · bound · net · game · rash

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rash — a series
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. net — for catching
  16. game — a match
  17. club — for golf
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chair — a leader
  22. club — a group
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. ruler — for measuring

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