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: hide · pop · face · bark · patient · jam · ruler · wax

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pop — soda
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bark — to shout
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. face — to confront
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pop — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. face — to point toward

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