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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. march — music
  3. file — a document
  4. march — the month
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. march — the month
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fork — in a road
  24. club — for golf

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