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: bark · date · jam · pound · face · race · firm · rest

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. face — to point toward
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. face — part of the head
  9. firm — decided
  10. date — the fruit
  11. firm — a company
  12. face — to confront
  13. firm — steady
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rest — what's left
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rest — what's left
  18. race — humankind
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rest — a break
  22. race — a contest
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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