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: pit · branch · court · rush · craft · cabinet · hand · bass

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bass — low music
  3. branch — a division
  4. court — for sport
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. hand — help
  9. court — of a king
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. court — of law
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bass — the fish
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. craft — boats
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rush — hurry
  23. hand — in cards
  24. branch — of a bank

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