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: squash · land · arm · cabinet · saw · present · fan · fork

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. squash — to crush
  7. present — the time now
  8. saw — the tool
  9. present — there
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. land — ground
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. present — a gift
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. land — a country
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. squash — the sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  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