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: ground · cabinet · date · club · foot · fork · tube · arm

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — a container
  9. ground — a position
  10. club — a group
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. club — for golf
  16. ground — crushed
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. date — the fruit
  19. club — for dancing
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fork — in a road

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