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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. tear — from crying
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — electric
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. march — the month
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. tear — to rip
  10. march — music
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fork — in a road
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. dip — to sink
  15. current — of water
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. current — happening now
  19. craft — boats
  20. pass — a permit
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bear — to put up 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