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

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. craft — a skill
  3. court — of law
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. craft — boats
  6. chair — a leader
  7. swing — music
  8. fine — all right
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. swing — to play on
  13. firm — steady
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. firm — decided
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. straw — a straw man

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