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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. shower — rain
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ball — a great time
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. hand — help
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spell — magic
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. spell — letters
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hand — in cards
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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