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: cabinet · wave · clip · kick · pitcher · court · craft · drill

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kick — in football
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. clip — to cut
  12. craft — a skill
  13. court — for sport
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. drill — army training
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. craft — boats
  19. clip — a video
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. clip — for paper

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