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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. prune — to trim
  4. last — final
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. court — of law
  7. fork — in a road
  8. court — of a king
  9. last — to go on
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. last — finally
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. date — the fruit
  23. court — for sport
  24. prune — to trim

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