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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. court — of a king
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fork — in a road
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. court — of law
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. hand — help
  16. stand — to bear
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. court — for sport
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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