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: fork · staff · dip · cue · saw · march · wound · pass

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. staff — employees
  9. march — the month
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cue — a signal
  15. staff — employees
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pass — a permit
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — to sink
  21. march — music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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