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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. spring — of water
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bass — low music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bat — the animal
  22. track — a song
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. track — a path

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