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: bat · rock · club · lash · craft · file · fork · cue

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. file — a document
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. file — a tool
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rock — a stone
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cue — for pool
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. club — a group
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bat — the animal
  24. craft — boats

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