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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. craft — boats
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ball — a great time
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. craft — a skill
  13. court — of law
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitch — completely
  21. last — to go on
  22. court — of a king
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitch — a sports field

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