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: fan · tear · bear · fork · saw · lean · court · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cell — a phone
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bear — the animal
  14. court — for sport
  15. lean — thin
  16. court — of a king
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. saw — the tool
  22. court — of law
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fan — to cool the air

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