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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fine — all right
  3. mine — for digging
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bank — for money
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bank — for money
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. drill — army training
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. scale — in music

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