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: craft · trunk · squash · board · cue · saw · wake · court

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cue — a signal
  5. court — for sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. craft — boats
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — to get on
  14. squash — to crush
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cue — a hint
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. court — of a king
  20. saw — the tool
  21. court — of law
  22. board — a committee
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cue — for pool

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