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: cue · face · bark · hide · stick · kick · lie · jam

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bark — to shout
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cue — a signal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. kick — in football
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cue — for pool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — a hint
  24. jam — a tight spot

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