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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. scale — in music
  3. current — electric
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ball — a great time
  7. current — happening now
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fork — in a road
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bark — to shout
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. current — of water
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. fork — to eat with

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