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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. land — a country
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wake — a trail
  7. face — to point toward
  8. band — a ring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bass — the fish
  12. face — to confront
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. snap — to click
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. land — to come down
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bass — low music
  22. land — ground
  23. bass — the instrument
  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