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: date · safe · kid · staff · court · fork · cap · bass

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. kid — to tease
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. kid — child
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. staff — employees
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. court — of a king
  14. cap — of ice
  15. court — of law
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bass — the fish
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. court — for sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bass — low music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cap — a lid

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