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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. face — part of the head
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. last — finally
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — of law
  9. craft — boats
  10. last — to go on
  11. spring — the season
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — for sport
  14. last — final
  15. pit — a hole
  16. can — a tin
  17. face — to confront
  18. craft — a skill
  19. spring — a coil
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pit — in a race
  22. spring — of water
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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