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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. field — for sport
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rock — music
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — to confront
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pop — music
  12. field — farmland
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. shower — rain
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. field — a subject
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pop — soda
  23. wound — an injury
  24. shower — to wash

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