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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mug — a face
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pop — music
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. club — for golf
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cell — in biology
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bark — to shout
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mug — to rob

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