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 116 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: plane · rock · bark · row · capital · face · stock · board

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. face — part of the head
  3. row — to paddle
  4. face — to point toward
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stock — goods
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rock — music
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. board — a committee
  14. capital — money
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. face — to confront
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. capital — a city
  21. row — a line
  22. board — to get on
  23. stock — shares
  24. row — a quarrel

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