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: last · land · fork · saw · lean · rush · mine · mouse

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. last — final
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. land — to come down
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lean — to bend
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. lean — thin
  19. last — to go on
  20. land — ground
  21. last — finally
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rush — hurry

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