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

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rule — a law
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rule — government
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. hand — help
  19. vault — a safe
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cap — a hat
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bowl — a football final

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