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 120 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — music
  4. file — a document
  5. pop — soda
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. game — a match
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pop — to visit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. file — a line of people
  16. perch — the fish
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mine — for digging
  22. file — a tool
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chair — to sit on

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