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: current · game · court · scale · craft · plane · mark · file

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. scale — size or range
  3. current — happening now
  4. game — a match
  5. craft — boats
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. current — electric
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. file — a line of people
  13. court — of a king
  14. current — of water
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. file — a document
  17. plane — a tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. scale — in music
  20. file — a tool
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. game — wild animals
  23. court — of law
  24. plane — in geometry

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