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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. last — final
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. key — for a lock
  11. last — finally
  12. bulb — for light
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitch — completely
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. capital — a city
  20. bulb — for light
  21. roll — a list
  22. last — to go on
  23. roll — a cake
  24. safe — out of danger

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