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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. saw — the tool
  3. row — a line
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. root — of a plant
  6. object — a thing
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. saw — the tool
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. object — an aim
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. object — to protest
  21. land — ground
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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