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 116 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 · court · coach · current · fine · prune · lean · saw

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lean — to bend
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. court — for sport
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. current — happening now
  11. fine — all right
  12. court — of a king
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. current — of water
  15. fine — high quality
  16. prune — to trim
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. court — of law
  22. prune — to trim
  23. current — electric
  24. lean — thin

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