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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fine — all right
  9. court — for sport
  10. track — a path
  11. game — wild animals
  12. degree — an amount
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. craft — boats
  16. season — of the year
  17. court — of a king
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fine — high quality
  22. court — of law
  23. season — in sport
  24. track — a song

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