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

Word bank: court · object · wind · mark · craft · game · ball · key

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. court — of a king
  3. game — a match
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. key — for a lock
  8. object — to protest
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. court — of law
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. object — an aim
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wind — moving air
  16. craft — a skill
  17. object — a thing
  18. ball — a great time
  19. game — wild animals
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. court — for sport
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wind — moving air

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