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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fall — the season
  5. fork — in a road
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. drill — the tool
  11. suit — to fit
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wake — a trail
  17. game — a match
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fall — to drop

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