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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. band — a ring
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. prune — to trim
  10. game — wild animals
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. band — a music group
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — a match
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. prune — to trim

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