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: club · stem · ball · charge · bat · wax · rush · dip

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rush — hurry
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bat — the animal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. charge — a price
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wax — in the ear

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