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: tear · craft · firm · wake · court · stand · tube · ruler

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. firm — decided
  3. court — of law
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. tube — a container
  14. firm — steady
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. firm — a company
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. court — for sport
  21. tube — the underground
  22. court — of a king
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. tube — in a tire

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