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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rule — a law
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chest — a box
  5. bark — to shout
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. chest — of your body
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stem — to come from
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rule — government
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stem — a stem cell

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