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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. march — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. land — ground
  10. fork — in a road
  11. row — a line
  12. march — the month
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. land — to come down
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. row — to paddle
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. march — the month
  23. land — a country
  24. fork — to eat with

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