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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fork — in a road
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. present — there
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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