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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. snap — to click
  4. lean — thin
  5. spell — magic
  6. saw — the tool
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. key — the most important part
  15. spell — letters
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fine — all right
  22. lean — to bend
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fine — high quality

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