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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. dip — to sink
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. roll — a cake
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rest — what's left
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fork — in a road
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wound — an injury
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rest — what's left
  22. roll — a list
  23. wound — an injury
  24. calf — a young animal

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