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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pass — a permit
  4. spring — the season
  5. perch — the fish
  6. object — to protest
  7. cap — a lid
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. face — to confront
  12. bark — to shout
  13. spring — of water
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. game — a match
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cap — a hat
  20. spring — a coil
  21. face — part of the head
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — wild animals
  24. perch — for a bird

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