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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. face — part of the head
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bark — to shout
  7. game — a match
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rock — music
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. face — to confront
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. branch — a division
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. game — wild animals
  24. branch — of a bank

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