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: deal · ground · spell · wake · mate · can · fork · row

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. row — a line
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fork — in a road
  14. can — to be able to
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ground — a position
  18. can — a tin
  19. ground — the earth
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. ground — crushed
  23. row — to paddle
  24. spell — magic

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