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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. sharp — clever
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. march — the month
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. hand — in cards
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. march — music
  24. fork — a garden tool

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