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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. club — for dancing
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. hand — help
  6. season — in sport
  7. ground — the earth
  8. club — a group
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. season — of the year
  12. fork — in a road
  13. club — for golf
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. shower — rain
  16. ground — crushed
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. ground — a position
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. hand — in cards

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