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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. tube — the underground
  3. net — in sport
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rash — hasty
  6. present — there
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. band — a ring
  12. present — a gift
  13. rock — a stone
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. net — after costs
  16. band — a music group
  17. net — for catching
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rock — music
  20. fork — in a road
  21. tube — a container
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. present — the time now
  24. tube — in a tire

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