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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. kick — in football
  3. board — to get on
  4. face — to confront
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. board — a committee
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rest — a break
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rest — what's left
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mine — an explosive

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