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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hand — in cards
  5. craft — a skill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. craft — boats
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fork — in a road
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pound — a weight
  24. safe — out of danger

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