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: pop · vault · lean · bark · craft · board · bass · court

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. court — for sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. pop — music
  7. bass — low music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. court — of a king
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bass — the fish
  14. vault — a safe
  15. board — a committee
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pop — soda
  18. lean — thin
  19. craft — boats
  20. bark — to shout
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. court — of law

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