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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mate — to breed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mate — a friend
  8. club — for golf
  9. vault — a safe
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. net — after costs
  12. face — part of the head
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. net — for catching
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. net — in sport
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bark — to shout

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