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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bark — to shout
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cap — a lid
  10. branch — a division
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. face — to confront
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. face — part of the head
  18. branch — of a tree

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