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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. hand — help
  10. shower — to wash
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. swing — to play on
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. roll — a list
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. shower — rain
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. swing — in golf
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. key — for a lock
  24. swing — music

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