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: last · wave · fork · saw · safe · land · pound · craft

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. last — final
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. last — to go on
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pound — a weight
  9. land — a country
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — to come down
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. craft — a skill
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. craft — boats
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fork — in a road
  24. last — finally

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