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: ground · date · fork · lie · plane · pit · racket · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pit — a hole
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. ground — a position
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ground — the earth
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lie — to recline
  24. racket — for tennis

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