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: wake · fork · scale · pound · face · trunk · patient · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. face — part of the head
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wake — a trail
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. face — to confront
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. scale — in music
  24. pound — a weight

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