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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. clip — a video
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fork — in a road
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ball — a great time
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. clip — for paper
  20. kick — in football
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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