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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rock — music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rock — a stone
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stem — of a plant

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