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: ground · coach · sharp · fork · prune · ball · cabinet · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ground — the earth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. ball — a great time
  17. prune — to trim
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ground — a position
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fall — the season

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