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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. march — music
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cue — for pool
  11. march — the month
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. march — the month
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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