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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kid — child
  4. charge — electricity
  5. net — in sport
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. charge — a price
  9. rule — a law
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rule — government
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — in control
  22. net — after costs
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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