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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rest — a break
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fork — in a road
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wound — an injury
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. fall — to drop
  12. perch — the fish
  13. race — a contest
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fall — to drop
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wound — an injury
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rest — what's left
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. race — humankind
  23. fall — the season
  24. perch — for a bird

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