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: fork · squash · hand · jam · plane · dip · wound · chip

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. dip — to sink
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. squash — to crush
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chip — to eat
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wound — an injury
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. squash — the sport
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. hand — part of the body

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