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: fork · fan · roll · bear · object · kid · mine · hide

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. kid — child
  12. fork — in a road
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. roll — a list
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. roll — a cake
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bear — the animal
  23. object — to protest
  24. hide — to keep secret

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