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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. craft — a skill
  3. court — of a king
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cell — a phone
  8. game — a match
  9. tear — to rip
  10. craft — boats
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lean — to bend
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cell — in biology
  17. court — of law
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. court — for sport
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lean — thin

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