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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mark — a trace
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mine — for digging
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. squash — to crush
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mark — a grade
  13. squash — the sport
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rush — hurry
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rush — to hurry

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