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: rock · perch · root · fork · pound · court · bulb · mine

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. court — for sport
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. root — the cause
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. root — of a word
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. court — of law
  12. pound — a weight
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. root — of a plant
  16. court — of a king
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mine — for digging
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rock — music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rock — a stone

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