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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. current — happening now
  6. land — a country
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. object — to protest
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. court — for sport
  16. current — of water
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. current — electric
  21. object — a thing
  22. court — of a king
  23. game — wild animals
  24. object — an aim

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