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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bound — tied together
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spell — magic
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — certain
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bound — obliged
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. shower — to wash
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — rain

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