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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cold — an illness
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fork — in a road
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ground — the earth
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. ground — a position
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ground — crushed
  16. saw — the tool
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cold — not warm
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cold — the Cold War

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