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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. spell — magic
  6. hand — help
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pit — in a race
  10. dip — to sink
  11. spell — letters
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. track — a path
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — a short time
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ruler — a monarch

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