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: present · season · sharp · firm · hand · kid · march · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. march — the month
  3. kid — child
  4. season — in sport
  5. kid — to tease
  6. march — music
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. present — the time now
  11. firm — steady
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. sharp — clever
  15. present — there
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. firm — a company
  18. season — of the year
  19. march — the month
  20. hand — help
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. firm — decided
  24. present — a gift

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