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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. drill — the tool
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. drill — a practice
  5. shower — rain
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bore — to tire
  8. cell — a phone
  9. drill — army training
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. shower — to wash
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bore — to drill
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. key — the most important part
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cell — in biology
  19. key — in music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fork — in a road
  22. perch — the fish
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fork — a garden tool

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