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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · fork · stick · cold · squash · object

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. object — an aim
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cold — an illness
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cold — not warm
  13. squash — to crush
  14. object — to protest
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. object — a thing

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