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 120 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 · prune · safe · dip · bat · degree · foot · arm

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. degree — from a university
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. dip — to sink
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. degree — an amount
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. degree — temperature
  20. prune — to trim
  21. foot — a measure
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. dip — a sauce

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