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: bark · drill · face · straw · suit · leaves · track · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — to confront
  3. drill — a practice
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bark — to shout
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. drill — the tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. suit — in cards
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. suit — to fit
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — clothes
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. track — a path
  23. drill — army training
  24. face — part of the head

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