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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. track — a song
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fine — all right
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — a path
  18. mine — belonging to me

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