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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spring — a coil
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pitch — completely
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spring — the season
  15. game — a match
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bark — to shout
  19. spring — of water
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. date — the fruit
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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