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: tear · cabinet · face · kick · press · bark · pop · stick

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pop — to visit
  3. press — to push
  4. face — part of the head
  5. press — newspapers
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tear — to rip
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. face — to point toward
  11. kick — in football
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pop — music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pop — soda
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. face — to confront
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. press — a publisher

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