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: snap · wind · bulb · stick · court · craft · key · wound

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. craft — boats
  4. court — of a king
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wind — moving air
  8. snap — to click
  9. key — in music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wind — moving air
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wound — an injury
  21. craft — a skill
  22. key — the most important part
  23. court — of law
  24. bulb — for light

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