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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wax — to grow
  3. court — of a king
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. scale — size or range
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kick — in football
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. craft — a skill
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. scale — in music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rule — government
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rule — a law
  24. craft — a handicraft

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