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: bark · present · clip · tube · key · leaves · bowl · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. clip — to cut
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. key — the most important part
  10. present — the time now
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. tube — a container
  16. bark — to shout
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. key — in music
  19. clip — a video
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. key — for a lock

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