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: perch · root · bass · deal · snap · fork · game · coach

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. deal — to handle
  6. root — of a word
  7. game — a match
  8. perch — the fish
  9. snap — to click
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bass — low music
  14. fork — in a road
  15. root — of a plant
  16. game — wild animals
  17. root — the cause
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bass — the fish
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. perch — for a bird

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