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: deal · craft · staff · ground · court · pitcher · suit · drill

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ground — a position
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — clothes
  6. court — of a king
  7. ground — the earth
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. suit — in cards
  10. court — for sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. court — of law
  13. drill — army training
  14. ground — crushed
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. drill — the tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. staff — a stick
  21. drill — a practice
  22. craft — boats
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — to handle

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