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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mate — a partner
  3. court — for sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. face — to confront
  6. court — of law
  7. mate — to breed
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bark — to shout
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fine — high quality
  14. court — of a king
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fine — all right
  22. squash — to crush
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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