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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. march — the month
  3. can — a tin
  4. content — the amount
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. object — a thing
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. tear — from crying
  10. march — music
  11. fork — in a road
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. content — happy
  15. march — the month
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. can — to be able to
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. tear — to rip
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tear — from crying
  24. plane — a tool

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