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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — boats
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. craft — a skill
  7. court — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — the month
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — a series
  19. dip — to sink
  20. court — of law
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. court — of a king
  24. mouse — for a computer

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