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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fork — in a road
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fall — to drop
  8. net — in sport
  9. fall — to drop
  10. foot — a measure
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. swing — in golf
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. net — after costs
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fall — the season
  18. sharp — clever
  19. lie — to recline
  20. tube — a container
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. swing — music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. sharp — exactly

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