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 116 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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bound — certain
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. charge — in control

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