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: cap · saw · rock · content · key · coach · spring · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rock — music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. spring — of water
  8. cap — a hat
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. content — happy
  19. cap — of ice
  20. content — the amount
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cap — a lid
  23. spring — the season
  24. saw — the 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