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: kid · face · club · bark · stick · craft · rest · chest

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chest — a box
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. face — to confront
  10. kid — to tease
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. kid — child
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rest — a break
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chest — of your body
  20. craft — boats
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — to shout
  23. chest — of your body
  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