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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. craft — boats
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mug — a face
  13. bound — tied together
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wind — moving air
  21. file — a document
  22. court — for sport
  23. fork — in a road
  24. court — of law

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