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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fork — in a road
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spring — the season
  11. spell — magic
  12. deal — to handle
  13. club — for golf
  14. spell — letters
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. spring — of water
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. spring — a coil
  21. club — a group
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. club — for dancing

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