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: ball · fork · lie · bowl · sharp · mine · plane · mouse

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ball — a great time
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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