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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. toast — bread
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — certain
  15. wake — a trail
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. band — a music group
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. band — a ring
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bark — 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