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: wax · court · rock · degree · craft · dip · nail · land

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rock — a stone
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. court — for sport
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wax — to grow
  8. degree — from a university
  9. craft — boats
  10. land — ground
  11. court — of a king
  12. land — a country
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. land — to come down
  18. rock — music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. degree — an amount
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. dip — to sink
  24. degree — temperature

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