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 · saw · mouse · vault · patient · bound · fall · face

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bound — certain
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bark — to shout
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. face — to point toward
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. face — to confront

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