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: fork · ruler · bark · face · arm · fine · charge · cold

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fork — in a road
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fine — all right
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fine — high quality
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cold — not warm
  15. face — to confront
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — an illness
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. charge — in control
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. charge — a price
  24. fork — to eat with

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