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: craft · court · mate · pit · jam · content · fall · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. craft — a skill
  6. content — happy
  7. fall — to drop
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mate — a friend
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mate — a partner
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. content — the amount
  21. craft — boats
  22. fall — the season
  23. court — for sport
  24. jam — a tight spot

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