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: rash · kick · squash · court · craft · cell · fine · bound

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. court — for sport
  3. bound — obliged
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bound — certain
  7. fine — all right
  8. court — of a king
  9. craft — a skill
  10. squash — to crush
  11. court — of law
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bound — tied together
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. kick — in football
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rash — a series
  20. craft — boats
  21. cell — in biology
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cell — a phone

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