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 116 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. court — of a king
  6. wake — a trail
  7. court — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bound — obliged
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. court — of law
  12. hand — help
  13. bound — certain
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chip — to eat
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wake — before a funeral

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