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 120 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: spring · foot · mark · last · fork · plane · row · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. last — final
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spring — the season
  7. mark — a grade
  8. foot — a measure
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. last — to go on
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mark — a trace
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. row — to paddle
  20. spring — of water
  21. row — a line
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. last — finally
  24. spring — a coil

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