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 116 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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. suit — in cards
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. scale — in music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. march — the month
  11. bat — the animal
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. march — the month
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. shower — rain
  22. wake — a trail
  23. march — music
  24. shower — to wash

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