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 · rule · object · prune · bark · press · saw · pitch

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pitch — completely
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. press — newspapers
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rule — government
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. object — a thing
  15. press — to push
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. face — part of the head
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bark — to shout
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rule — a law

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