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: rule · staff · rock · race · land · bass · shower · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. land — to come down
  3. race — a contest
  4. bass — low music
  5. rule — a law
  6. land — a country
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rock — music
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rock — a stone
  11. race — the arms race
  12. shower — rain
  13. land — ground
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rule — government
  18. race — humankind
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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