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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — in a road
  4. band — a ring
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bore — to tire
  13. degree — from a university
  14. can — to be able to
  15. degree — an amount
  16. band — a music group
  17. rash — a series
  18. bore — to drill
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. can — a tin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — an aircraft

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