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: jam · arm · fork · straw · patient · cue · date · rule

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cue — for pool
  5. date — the fruit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cue — a hint
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cue — a signal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rule — government
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rule — a law
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. arm — 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