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 120 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: bowl · rock · spring · fork · club · pass · game · calf

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rock — music
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. club — a group
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. spring — of water
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. game — wild animals
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. game — a match
  24. fork — in a road

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