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: face · bass · spell · ground · bark · jam · sharp · lean

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. sharp — clever
  3. face — to confront
  4. bark — to shout
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bass — low music
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bark — of a tree

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