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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. chair — a leader
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bark — to shout
  14. kick — in football
  15. track — a path
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cell — in biology
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. suit — in cards
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cell — a phone

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