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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. court — for sport
  4. bound — certain
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bound — obliged
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. chip — for betting
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bound — tied together
  13. court — of law
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bass — low music
  16. craft — boats
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bass — the fish
  21. kick — in football
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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