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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bark — to shout
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. club — for golf
  6. prune — to trim
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. club — a group
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kid — child

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