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: patient · row · pitch · club · bark · face · firm · tube

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. firm — a company
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. row — a line
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. face — part of the head
  10. club — for golf
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. face — to confront
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. club — a group
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitch — completely
  19. row — to paddle
  20. face — to point toward
  21. club — for dancing
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bark — to shout

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