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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. season — in sport
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tear — to rip
  5. last — to go on
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. last — finally
  9. court — for sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a great time
  12. court — of law
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. court — of a king
  16. object — to protest
  17. ball — a dance
  18. last — final
  19. tear — from crying
  20. object — an aim
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. tear — from crying
  24. season — of the year

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