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: field · fork · spring · can · lash · press · degree · key

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. key — for a lock
  4. spring — of water
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fork — in a road
  7. field — a subject
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. spring — a coil
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. degree — an amount
  13. key — in music
  14. field — for sport
  15. degree — from a university
  16. can — a tin
  17. press — to push
  18. key — the most important part
  19. spring — the season
  20. field — farmland
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. can — a tin
  24. press — newspapers

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