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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. hand — in cards
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. can — a tin
  11. craft — a skill
  12. can — a tin
  13. craft — boats
  14. mark — a grade
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. can — to be able to
  17. court — of a king
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bulb — for light
  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