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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. capital — money
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. spring — the season
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stock — shares
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spring — of water
  18. snap — to click
  19. capital — a city
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lash — an eyelash

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