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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. file — a tool
  11. foot — a measure
  12. squash — the sport
  13. file — a line of people
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. date — the fruit
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. row — a line
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. file — a document

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