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 · chest · ground · stick · wave · pound · craft · fan

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pound — a weight
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — a position
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ground — the earth
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chest — a box
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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