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 116 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: court · chip · content · craft · swing · game · ball · key

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. court — of a king
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chip — to eat
  11. court — of law
  12. swing — in golf
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. swing — to play on
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chip — for betting
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. content — the amount
  19. key — in music
  20. court — for sport
  21. craft — a skill
  22. swing — music
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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