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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. spring — a coil
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. spring — of water
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tube — the underground
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. kid — child
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tube — a container
  19. spring — the season
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. kid — to tease

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