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: bay · hand · dip · bore · bark · charge · face · shower

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. charge — in control
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hand — help
  5. dip — to sink
  6. hand — in cards
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bore — to drill
  9. shower — rain
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bore — to tire
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. face — to confront
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bark — to shout

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