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: wound · court · lie · craft · pitch · staff · capital · chest

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chest — a box
  4. staff — employees
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. staff — a stick
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. capital — money
  16. staff — employees
  17. pitch — completely
  18. capital — a city
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. chest — of your body

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