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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. face — to confront
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. staff — employees
  7. row — a line
  8. face — part of the head
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bark — to shout
  12. row — to paddle
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bass — low music
  19. fine — all right
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. branch — a division
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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