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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. race — a contest
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bound — tied together
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. face — to confront
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. race — humankind
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. craft — boats

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