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: pit · racket · fall · court · prune · craft · band · object

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. court — of law
  5. prune — to trim
  6. court — for sport
  7. fall — the season
  8. pit — a hole
  9. band — a ring
  10. fall — to drop
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. craft — boats
  13. object — a thing
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. object — an aim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. object — to protest
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. court — of a king
  21. pit — in a race
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. craft — a skill
  24. prune — the fruit

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