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

Word bank: scale · bay · band · face · bark · pass · shower · mark

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. scale — in music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. band — a ring
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bark — to shout
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. band — a music group
  16. face — to confront
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. shower — rain
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mark — a grade
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pass — a permit

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