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: squash · court · cabinet · bass · mate · craft · face · arm

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. squash — to crush
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. bass — the fish
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. craft — boats
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. craft — a skill
  21. court — for sport
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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