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 120 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lean — thin
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. face — to confront
  7. mark — a trace
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. net — after costs
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — for catching
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lean — to bend

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