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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. craft — a skill
  8. last — to go on
  9. hand — in cards
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. face — part of the head
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. hand — help
  15. last — finally
  16. deal — to handle
  17. spell — letters
  18. chest — a box
  19. last — final
  20. spell — magic
  21. fork — in a road
  22. craft — boats
  23. face — to confront
  24. hand — part of the body

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