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 · swing · spell · rush · perch · dip · ground · land

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. swing — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ground — the earth
  7. fork — in a road
  8. spell — magic
  9. ground — crushed
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. swing — in golf
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. land — ground
  18. swing — to play on
  19. land — to come down
  20. perch — the fish
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ground — a position
  23. land — a country
  24. spell — letters

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