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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. face — to confront
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. bear — the animal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. clip — a video
  11. face — to point toward
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. safe — out of danger
  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