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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. court — of law
  3. present — there
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. court — for sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. present — a gift
  9. track — to keep track
  10. kid — child
  11. track — a path
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. court — of a king
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fork — in a road
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rest — a break
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. present — the time now
  22. track — a song
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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