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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. kid — child
  3. roll — a cake
  4. key — for a lock
  5. face — part of the head
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. roll — a list
  8. stand — to bear
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bark — to shout
  11. track — to keep track
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. face — to confront
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. face — to point toward
  18. key — in music
  19. track — a song
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. key — the most important part
  22. track — a path
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. kid — to tease

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