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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. staff — employees
  7. court — of law
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. craft — boats
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. scale — in music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. face — to confront
  17. court — for sport
  18. staff — a stick
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. court — of a king
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bulb — for light

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