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: wake · rock · file · fork · bulb · fan · field · ball

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. file — a tool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bulb — for light
  13. field — for sport
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wake — a trail
  23. file — a document
  24. fan — a supporter

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