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: face · bark · land · saw · deal · stand · coach · race

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. race — humankind
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. race — a contest
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. face — to confront
  9. stand — to bear
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — the arms race
  12. land — a country
  13. face — to point toward
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. land — to come down
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. deal — to handle
  21. land — ground
  22. saw — the tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. face — part of the head

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