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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wound — an injury
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. land — to come down
  9. cue — a hint
  10. land — a country
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stock — goods
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cue — for pool
  19. land — ground
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stock — shares

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