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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fork — in a road
  4. club — for dancing
  5. object — to protest
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. object — a thing
  13. club — a group
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mine — for digging
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ball — a great time
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. date — the fruit
  24. club — for golf

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