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: charge · race · fork · tear · roll · rock

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rock — music
  3. roll — a list
  4. charge — electricity
  5. race — humankind
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. tear — from crying
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. charge — a price
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. race — the arms race
  14. tear — to rip
  15. charge — in control
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rock — a stone
  18. race — a contest

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