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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. court — of a king
  3. clip — to cut
  4. vault — a safe
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. court — for sport
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. court — of law
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rush — hurry
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. craft — a skill
  21. clip — a video
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mouse — the animal

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