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 124 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — to visit
  3. face — to confront
  4. cold — an illness
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rest — a break
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bulb — for light
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pop — soda
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pop — music
  20. rock — music
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pit — in a race
  24. face — to point toward

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