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: fork · deal · present · stem · wound · court · lie · cold

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. court — of a king
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. wound — an injury
  14. court — of law
  15. present — there
  16. court — for sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cold — an illness
  20. present — a gift
  21. stem — to come from
  22. deal — to handle
  23. lie — to recline
  24. present — the time now

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