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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ground — crushed
  3. craft — a skill
  4. object — to protest
  5. present — a gift
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. craft — boats
  10. object — an aim
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. suit — in cards
  14. present — the time now
  15. spell — a short time
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. present — there
  19. object — a thing
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spell — letters
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fork — in a road
  24. patient — a sick person

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