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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. foot — a measure
  6. staff — employees
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fork — in a road
  12. root — the cause
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stand — to bear
  16. staff — employees
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cell — in biology
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. swing — music
  23. date — the fruit
  24. staff — a stick

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