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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. swing — music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bark — to shout
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. face — part of the head
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. face — to confront
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. spell — magic
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. spell — letters
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fork — a garden tool

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