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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bound — obliged
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fine — high quality
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fall — the season
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rest — what's left
  13. row — a line
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bound — certain
  16. rest — a break
  17. row — to paddle
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fine — all right
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fine — a penalty

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