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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. game — a match
  9. clip — a video
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. clip — for paper
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fork — in a road
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bear — the animal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wind — moving air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — animal skin

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