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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rest — a break
  15. roll — a list
  16. ground — crushed
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fine — high quality
  21. face — to confront
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fine — all right

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