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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. present — a gift
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bass — low music
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. present — the time now
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — the fish
  20. present — there
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fork — in a road
  23. kick — in football
  24. lie — to recline

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