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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. court — of law
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bass — low music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. craft — boats
  11. bank — for money
  12. court — of a king
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bank — for money
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wind — moving air

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