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 116 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rest — what's left
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. kick — in football
  7. fork — in a road
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cold — not warm
  10. branch — a division
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. craft — boats
  13. cold — an illness
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rest — a break
  18. content — happy
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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