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: ground · fork · squash · row · saw · ball · stand · nail

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ground — a position
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ball — a great time
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. saw — the tool
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stand — to bear
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. squash — to crush
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. row — a line
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fork — in a road

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