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: game · ball · leaves · date · key · craft · row · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. row — a line
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. key — for a lock
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. game — wild animals
  10. key — in music
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. key — the most important part
  14. ball — a great time
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. row — to paddle
  18. craft — a skill
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. ball — a dance
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. object — an aim
  24. craft — boats

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