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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. craft — boats
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — the month
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. craft — a skill
  11. degree — temperature
  12. march — music
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. court — of a king
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bank — for money
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bank — for money
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bank — of a river
  24. march — the month

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