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: snap · craft · mouse · court · stock · fall · bat · rock

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fall — the season
  9. rock — music
  10. stock — shares
  11. craft — boats
  12. stock — goods
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bat — the animal
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. court — for sport
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. craft — a skill

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