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: nail · rule · bark · face · squash · game · fall · pound

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. game — wild animals
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. pound — a weight
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rule — government
  13. fall — to drop
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bark — to shout
  17. face — to confront
  18. rule — a law
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. game — a match
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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