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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bank — for money
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. kid — to tease
  7. spring — of water
  8. bank — of a river
  9. net — in sport
  10. fork — in a road
  11. net — for catching
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. net — after costs
  16. bank — for money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kid — child
  19. file — a line of people
  20. spring — the season
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. fork — a garden tool

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