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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. last — final
  3. game — a match
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mate — to breed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. last — to go on
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. present — there
  13. last — finally
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fork — in a road
  19. present — the time now
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a partner
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. present — a gift

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