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: nail · field · toast · charge · shower · face · pitcher · bark

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — to point toward
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. charge — a price
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. field — farmland
  22. shower — rain
  23. toast — bread
  24. nail — for a hammer

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