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: present · face · jam · pit · wound · track · content · bark

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. present — there
  6. wound — an injury
  7. present — the time now
  8. content — the amount
  9. track — a path
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pit — a hole
  12. track — a song
  13. face — to confront
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wound — an injury
  17. content — happy
  18. track — to keep track
  19. face — part of the head
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pit — in a race
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. face — to point toward
  24. present — a gift

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