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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. chest — a box
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mate — a friend
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. chest — of your body
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. file — a line of people
  9. foot — a measure
  10. squash — to crush
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. file — a document
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mate — a partner
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. file — a tool
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. capital — a city
  23. mate — to breed
  24. capital — money

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