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 · object · wound · scale · key · wind · drill · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — the most important part
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. drill — a practice
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. fork — in a road
  10. scale — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. wound — an injury
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wound — an injury
  16. drill — the tool
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. key — in music
  22. object — to protest
  23. wind — moving air
  24. drill — army training

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