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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ball — a dance
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a great time
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. perch — the fish
  10. firm — a company
  11. face — to confront
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. present — there
  14. bark — to shout
  15. date — the fruit
  16. firm — steady
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. present — a gift
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. march — the month
  22. present — the time now
  23. firm — decided
  24. march — music

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