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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ground — the earth
  4. court — for sport
  5. bat — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — hurry
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. court — of law
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. nail — on a finger

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