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

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cue — a hint
  8. branch — a division
  9. face — to point toward
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. face — to confront
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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