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: spring · face · fall · rush · bank · rest · straw · bark

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bark — to shout
  9. face — to confront
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. rest — a break
  15. face — to point toward
  16. spring — of water
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bank — of a river
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. spring — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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