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: kid · mouse · can · charge · spring · game · fork · hand

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. spring — the season
  3. game — a match
  4. hand — help
  5. can — a tin
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — a price
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. spring — of water
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. spring — a coil
  22. can — to be able to
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mouse — the animal

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