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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. ground — a position
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ground — the earth
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bank — of a river
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bank — for money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fork — in a road
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bank — for money

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