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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. face — part of the head
  6. toast — bread
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. face — to confront
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rock — music
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. face — to point toward
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rock — a stone

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