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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. field — farmland
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. field — a subject
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. field — for sport
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. date — the fruit
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. arm — a part of something

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