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: object · spring · bank · bark · face · court · roll · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. face — part of the head
  3. court — of a king
  4. bank — of a river
  5. court — of law
  6. roll — a cake
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. object — an aim
  11. spring — a coil
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. object — to protest
  14. spring — of water
  15. object — a thing
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. face — to confront
  20. roll — a list
  21. court — for sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. spring — the season
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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