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: craft · game · prune · fork · hide · nail

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. prune — to trim
  3. game — a match
  4. craft — boats
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fork — in a road
  9. craft — a skill
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. game — wild animals
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fork — a garden tool

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