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 120 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: court · wound · ruler · mouse · pop · club · staff · lash

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. staff — employees
  3. pop — soda
  4. staff — employees
  5. club — a group
  6. court — for sport
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. court — of law
  9. wound — an injury
  10. court — of a king
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pop — music
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. club — for golf
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. staff — a stick

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