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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. bank — for money
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fall — the season
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. land — a country
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bank — for money

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