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: patient · craft · net · court · charge · band · wave · wake

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. net — after costs
  3. court — of law
  4. net — in sport
  5. court — for sport
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. charge — in control
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. net — for catching
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. band — a ring
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. band — a music group

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