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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — completely
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. face — to confront
  8. firm — decided
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. file — a line of people
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. face — part of the head
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. firm — a company
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. file — a document
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. file — a tool
  24. pitch — a sports field

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