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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bark — to shout
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. season — of the year
  9. tube — the underground
  10. face — to confront
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. key — for a lock
  15. face — to point toward
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. season — in sport
  18. tube — a container
  19. face — part of the head
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. hand — in cards

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