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

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. sharp — clever
  5. craft — boats
  6. bank — of a river
  7. craft — a skill
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bank — for money
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. court — of law
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. bank — for money
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bulb — for light
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. last — to go on
  24. bulb — for light

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