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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kick — in football
  8. bark — to shout
  9. saw — the tool
  10. track — a song
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — to keep track
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kid — to tease
  16. face — to point toward
  17. kid — child
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. track — a path
  21. face — to confront
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chair — a leader

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