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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mate — a partner
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cell — in biology
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. band — a music group
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. band — a ring
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. vault — a safe

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