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: land · straw · fine · root · rest · saw · drill · fork

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. drill — army training
  3. saw — the tool
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. land — a country
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. drill — a practice
  9. root — of a word
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fine — high quality
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. saw — the tool
  18. land — ground
  19. rest — what's left
  20. land — to come down
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fine — a penalty

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