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 120 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. march — music
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bulb — for light
  5. march — the month
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. march — the month
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. lean — thin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. shower — rain
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fork — in a road
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ground — a position

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