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: game · nail · trunk · court · snap · craft · face · tube

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. game — a match
  2. tube — a container
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. craft — boats
  5. face — part of the head
  6. tube — the underground
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. craft — a skill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — to confront
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. court — of law
  17. snap — to click
  18. face — to point toward
  19. court — of a king
  20. game — wild animals
  21. court — for sport
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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