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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. craft — a skill
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. current — happening now
  6. wake — a trail
  7. row — a line
  8. current — of water
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. plane — a tool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. court — of law
  14. craft — boats
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rock — music
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. current — electric
  24. court — of a king

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