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: degree · bark · racket · rest · face · present · cabinet · pit

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rest — a break
  5. face — to confront
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. present — the time now
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pit — a hole
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pit — in a race
  12. degree — from a university
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rest — what's left
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bark — to shout
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. present — there

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