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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. sharp — clever
  4. object — a thing
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stand — to bear
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fork — in a road
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. hand — in cards
  17. scale — size or range
  18. hand — help
  19. object — to protest
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pitch — completely
  22. object — an aim
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. game — a match

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