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: mark · wave · craft · kick · season · cabinet · spell · court

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mark — a trace
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. season — in sport
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kick — in football
  18. spell — letters
  19. craft — a skill
  20. spell — magic
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. court — of law

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