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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hand — help
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cold — an illness
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — in cards
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. firm — steady
  17. lean — thin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cold — not warm
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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