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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. march — the month
  7. stem — to come from
  8. hand — help
  9. root — of a plant
  10. march — music
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. root — the cause
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wind — moving air
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. root — of a word

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