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: bark · fork · cell · foot · club · bear · spell · leaves

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. club — a group
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spell — magic
  9. club — for golf
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cell — a phone
  12. spell — letters
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. spell — a short time
  17. foot — a measure
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bark — to shout
  24. foot — part of the body

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