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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. clip — a video
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. suit — clothes
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. court — for sport
  9. spell — a short time
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rule — a law
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rule — government
  14. suit — in cards
  15. vault — a safe
  16. clip — for paper
  17. court — of law
  18. bark — to shout
  19. court — of a king
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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