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: chip · scale · sharp · ball · track · firm · court · craft

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. craft — boats
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. chip — to eat
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. track — a path
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. court — of a king
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. scale — in music
  15. court — for sport
  16. ball — a dance
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. track — a song
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. court — of law
  22. chip — for betting
  23. craft — a skill
  24. sharp — clever

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