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 116 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: bank · craft · straw · pitch · snap · court · plane · hand

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. craft — a skill
  6. court — of law
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. court — for sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitch — completely
  13. court — of a king
  14. bank — for money
  15. plane — a tool
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. snap — to click
  19. hand — help
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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