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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. game — a match
  4. current — of water
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fork — in a road
  9. present — a gift
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. current — happening now
  15. present — there
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. current — electric
  21. present — the time now
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bat — the animal

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