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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bass — low music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bore — to drill
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tear — from crying
  13. face — part of the head
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bass — the fish
  20. tear — to rip
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lie — to recline
  23. face — to confront
  24. bass — the instrument

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