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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. row — to paddle
  3. land — to come down
  4. march — the month
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. march — music
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. row — a line
  12. last — finally
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. land — ground
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. march — the month
  19. last — to go on
  20. land — a country
  21. last — final
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wind — moving air

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