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: drill · bank · craft · hand · current · court · object · lash

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bank — for money
  3. court — of a king
  4. craft — boats
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. current — of water
  7. object — to protest
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. court — for sport
  10. object — a thing
  11. hand — in cards
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. current — electric
  14. craft — a skill
  15. object — an aim
  16. drill — army training
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. court — of law
  23. hand — help
  24. drill — the tool

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