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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. saw — the tool
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. content — the amount
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. content — happy
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. spring — the season
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fork — in a road
  18. spring — of water
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bat — the animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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