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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. face — to confront
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bark — to shout
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pop — soda
  11. clip — to cut
  12. face — to point toward
  13. staff — employees
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pound — a weight
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. staff — employees
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. clip — a video
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. clip — for paper

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