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 dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. face — part of the head
  3. row — a line
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mate — a partner
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bark — to shout
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. face — to confront
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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