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: rash · scale · ball · march · squash · club · staff · rule

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. scale — in music
  3. rule — a law
  4. march — the month
  5. club — for dancing
  6. march — music
  7. squash — to crush
  8. staff — employees
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rash — hasty
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. staff — a stick
  16. rule — government
  17. staff — employees
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. ball — a dance
  24. scale — size or range

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