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: mouse · sharp · dip · rule · fork · saw · pop · kid

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. kid — to tease
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pop — music
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — soda
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. rule — government
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rule — a law
  19. fork — in a road
  20. kid — child
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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