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: stick · wind · face · pound · snap · season · bark · bank

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bank — for money
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bank — of a river
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pound — a weight
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wind — moving air
  11. snap — to click
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — of the year
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bank — for money
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. season — in sport
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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