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: fall · fork · mug · pitcher · staff · nail · fine · kid

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fine — all right
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mug — a cup
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kid — child
  9. mug — a face
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fall — the season
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fine — high quality
  22. kid — to tease
  23. staff — employees
  24. nail — for a hammer

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