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: rule · sharp · bay · pitcher · court · lash · mouse · staff

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rule — government
  11. staff — employees
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. court — of a king
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rule — a law
  19. staff — employees
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. court — of law
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. sharp — with an edge

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