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: face · band · bark · bulb · rock · jam · chip · land

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. face — to confront
  4. land — ground
  5. land — a country
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a ring
  12. rock — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. face — to point toward
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. land — to come down
  17. chip — for betting
  18. band — a music group
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. chip — to eat

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