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: row · cap · key · game · fork · bound · wake · sharp

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cap — of ice
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. game — a match
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. row — to paddle
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. game — wild animals
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cap — a lid
  23. key — in music
  24. row — a line

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