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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. sharp — clever
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. court — for sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fall — the season
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. craft — boats
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pop — music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pop — soda
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. sharp — exactly

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