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 · stick · can · land · bark · pitcher · court · fall

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. land — ground
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. court — for sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. can — a tin
  7. land — to come down
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bark — to shout
  17. land — a country
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fall — to drop
  20. court — of law
  21. fall — the season
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitcher — a jug

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