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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. spell — letters
  6. court — of a king
  7. stand — to bear
  8. court — of law
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. track — a path
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. track — a song
  14. roll — a list
  15. craft — a skill
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. track — to keep track
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. spell — magic
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. court — for sport

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