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: season · wind · firm · fork · staff · object · row · scale

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. staff — employees
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. firm — steady
  5. row — a line
  6. staff — a stick
  7. scale — in music
  8. object — an aim
  9. scale — size or range
  10. firm — a company
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. firm — decided
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. season — of the year
  15. wind — moving air
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. season — in sport
  18. object — to protest
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. row — to paddle
  22. staff — employees
  23. fork — in a road
  24. object — a thing

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