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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fork — in a road
  5. key — in music
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. march — music
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — clever
  20. key — the most important part
  21. root — the cause
  22. march — the month
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. foot — the bottom

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