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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. field — a subject
  3. fork — in a road
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. court — of law
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bank — of a river
  10. court — for sport
  11. spell — letters
  12. bank — for money
  13. field — farmland
  14. ground — the earth
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bank — for money
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. court — of a king
  20. field — for sport
  21. ground — a position
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. spell — magic
  24. perch — for a bird

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