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

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fork — in a road
  5. court — of a king
  6. root — of a word
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. root — the cause
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fine — all right
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. court — of law
  18. track — a song
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. root — of a plant
  21. shower — rain
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wound — an injury
  24. court — for sport

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