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: season · wake · fall · sharp · rock · fork · drill · ball

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. rock — music
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rock — a stone
  4. season — in sport
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — a trail
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fork — in a road
  14. ball — a dance
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fall — the season
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. season — of the year
  23. drill — army training
  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