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: hand · fork · bay · ball · cabinet · tear · saw · pound

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. tear — from crying
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hand — help
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pound — a weight

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