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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — help
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rash — a series
  10. can — to be able to
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — the fish
  16. shower — rain
  17. rash — hasty
  18. can — a tin
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fine — high quality
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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