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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · bulb · snap · rush · bark · capital · season · face

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. season — of the year
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. face — to confront
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rush — hurry
  11. kick — in football
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bark — to shout
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. snap — to click
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. face — part of the head
  24. kick — a thrill

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