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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. content — the amount
  3. key — in music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. face — part of the head
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. season — in sport
  11. content — happy
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. face — to confront
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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