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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. swing — to play on
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. swing — music
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. plane — a tool
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — help
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. sharp — clever
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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