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 124 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lean — thin
  4. land — to come down
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. craft — boats
  11. court — of a king
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mark — a grade
  15. land — a country
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. land — ground
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bank — for money
  23. mark — a trace
  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