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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. drill — army training
  9. kid — to tease
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. net — for catching
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bank — for money
  23. rest — a break
  24. pound — a weight

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