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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pit — a hole
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bass — low music
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spring — of water
  10. craft — boats
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. net — for catching
  13. pit — in a race
  14. net — after costs
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bass — the fish
  17. net — in sport
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. spring — the season
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mine — for digging

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