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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. face — to confront
  5. club — for golf
  6. key — in music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mark — a grade
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bark — to shout
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. club — a group

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