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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · vault · craft · patient · snap · court

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. 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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. craft — boats
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to click
  13. craft — a skill
  14. court — of law
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. vault — a safe
  18. 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