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 120 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: craft · mark · capital · court · prune · mug · scale · pit

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. prune — to trim
  3. court — of law
  4. craft — boats
  5. court — for sport
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. capital — money
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pit — a hole
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mug — a face
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pit — in a race
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. court — of a king
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mug — a cup
  22. capital — a city
  23. mug — to rob
  24. prune — the fruit

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